Author: mypbbooks

The news is out: [(Bloomberg) — China jailed outspoken property tycoon Ren Zhiqiang for 18 years on graft charges, months after he was linked to an article criticizing President Xi Jinping’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak.
The former chairman of Huayuan Property Co. was sentenced Tuesday after pleading guilty to four charges including corruption and abuse of power, the No.2 Beijing Intermediate People’s Court said. Ren was found to have amassed some 132 million yuan ($19 million) in bribes and other ill-gotten personal benefits between 2003 and 2017, the court said, adding that he had agreed not to appeal.
The allegations also included causing some 117 million yuan of economic losses at unspecified state-owned companies, according to the court, which provided no details about the crimes. Ren was fined 4.2 million yuan.
The prison term was unusually long, although some figures targeted during Xi’s eight-year anti-corruption campaign have been given suspended death sentences. If he serves out his full sentence, Ren, 69, would be about 87 years old by the time of his release.]

If China can do it, why not the rest of the “civilized, non-shitholes” countries?

The news is out: [The Los Angeles Police Department has on numerous occasions over the years downplayed its use of facial recognition technology, publicly claimed that the department doesn’t use it at all, and denied the existence of related documents that, if they exist, the public is legally entitled to see.
But new records obtained by the Los Angeles Times revealed that the department has used the technology widely for more than a decade: 29,817 times between November 6, 2009, and September 11 of this year — including 3,750 instances since February.
While the LAPD doesn’t have its own facial recognition software, 330 people within the department currently have access to the Los Angeles County Regional Identification System (LACRIS), a platform operated by LA county that relies on technology from DataWorks Plus, according to the LA Times.
The extent to which the LAPD uses facial recognition, according to these new records, contradicts what the department has said publicly, both when questioned by reporters and when asked to turn over documents via public records requests.]

Give a Rolex to a pig; it will oink it for weeks.

The news is out: [If you’re anxious about running into problems exercising your right to vote this election, you’re not alone. According to a recent survey from the Pew Research Center, nearly half of registered voters expect casting their ballots will be difficult, a 34-point increase since the 2018 midterms. Like almost every aspect of our lives during the pandemic, voting may look a bit different than usual. But with a little planning, you should be able to vote either masked and socially distanced at the polls, or by mail without issue.]

Waiting for someone to prove that voting works and an election will cure the ills of society.

The news is out: [A judge on Monday sentenced a San Diego man to 15 years in federal prison for prostituting a 15-year-old girl on more than 10 occasions last summer, authorities said.
Joseph Price, 24, pleaded guilty earlier this year to a federal charge of sex trafficking of a minor, according to prosecutors. As part of his plea agreement, Price also admitted that he struck the teen in the face to make her perform an act against her will, and that he encouraged two other underage girls in Texas to engage in prostitution.
Authorities became aware of Price’s actions in August 2019 when the victim’s mother reported that her daughter was dating an older man, later identified as Price, and that the girl’s Snapchat account featured “provocative” photos of her with Price, which led authorities to believe she was being trafficked.]

Where is the father? Murdered by cops?

Lately, I have been receiving many calls on my private phone from politicians and their goons. I must confess that my answers were never polite. After many drinks, I decided to channel Ellen DeGeneres and Michael Richards, to offer them a very insincere apology.

“… You know, I’m really busted up over this and I’m very, very sorry to those people in politics- everyone that was there that took the brunt of that anger and hate and rage and how it came through, and I’m concerned about more hate and more rage and more anger coming through, to callers who needlessly disrupt my privacy.”

When we recognize that we’ve done or said something offensive or hurtful, we may notice an uncomfortable feeling inside. We realize we’ve broken trust and done some damage. I don’t feel that way. Please call me back, so we can continue the conversation. I miss you guys.