When his nephew doesn’t return with his money, the head of a drug cartel flies to Los Angeles to collect in person. We see him in his limo, with the man who is supposed to pay him wedged between his bodyguards. His lines go something like this -

cartel boss: “I sent my nephew to get my money.”

his (non-paying) customer: “Your nephew?”

cartel boss: “Yeah. He’s my sister’s kid. A halfwit, but I gave him a job to keep her happy. You know how that is.”

customer: “uh huh”

cartel boss: “So then last week my sister comes to me. She’s crying. Yayo hasn’t come home. She’s worried. Me, I’m wondering,
where’s my money.”

customer: “Well I showed Yayo where the money was in a locker at the airport and that’s all I know. I figured he was on his way back home.”

cartel boss: “In a locker at the airport? Why would you leave the money in a locker at the airport?”

customer: doesn’t answer

cartel boss: “You know what I think? I think you’d better get me my money. Or maybe I’ll have Ramon and Caesar staple your tongue to your chin. What do you think?”

customer: I think you speak very good English.

cartel boss: “I’ll tell you what. I’m going to stay in LA for a couple of days, take in the sights. Go see that Miami Vice action spectacular. Then I’m gonna come back here for my money.”

bodyguard leans forward and speaks to boss

cartel boss: “Oh yeah, and Yayo.”

Instead of spending the rest of the morning furious because the bank had dinked around my money, I spent it laughing as I imagined myself telling my banker, “Maybe I’ll have Ramon and Caesar staple your tongue to your chin. What do you think?”

pierce aero @ 90

CSPAN 2 : Just now Al Green (D) of Texas gave a great speech on the Constitution during a House hearing on the domestic use of spy satellites by Homeland Security. Jane Harman was livid.
Karen

No, she was livid that they are asking for this ability without concern that technology will change and very possibly overreach and she is supporting a moratorium.

Livid in what way? That he was standing up for peoples’ rights?

CSPAN 2 : Just now Al Green (D) of Texas gave a great speech on the Constitution during a House hearing on the domestic use of spy satellites by Homeland Security. Jane Harman was livid.
Karen

Livid in what way? That he was standing up for peoples’ rights?

Homer J. Simpson

DC Chris @ 94

This may be OT but NOT REALLY
CSPAN-2 is showing the “Homeland Security Is Getting Ready to Use Sattelites inside America on Americans aka “Domestic Use of Spy Sattelites – House Homeland Security Agency” hearing before the House.

This is incredibly disconcerting. We understand how DEA/LEO is using such technology in the “war on some drugs” but from what I have heard NO agency is going to have oversight on this program except the Executive Branch. The executive branch makes all the decisions as to who is getting spied on. We know that courts in VA for example have said using thermal imaging is a 4th amendment violation when looking for people who are growing pot in their houses with grow lites.

This is really really scary.

DC Chris:
Don’t the satellites also handle data? Not a techie here, but access to communications is spying also.
Karen

Not to be a complete bore, but DHS is also eqipping urban police forces with armed robots that can be used during civil disturbances or terrorist acts.

I don’t wanna be redundant, but all this coupled with war games within the borders kind of pisses me off.

And I’ll risk getting conspiratorial…..the Russian Revolution storming of the Winter Palace, where Kerensky and the Kadets were holed up, took place on 25 October (old date…the modern date would be 7 November). If these people are as inept at history as they are at everything else, they might not realize that there is not a correspondence with the dates.

Yeah I’m paranoid….but at least I’m paying attention.

Alicia #71,

Your words remind me of General Henning von Tresckow, one of the German Generals deep in the plot to overthrow Hitl*r, when his comrades were wavering:

“[it] must be attempted at any cost. Even should it fail, the attempt to seize power in the capital must be undertaken. We must prove to the world and future generations that [we]…dared to take the decisive step and hazard [our] lives upon it. Compared with this object, nothing else matters.”

Later, after the attempt had failed:

“My conviction remains unshaken-we have done the right thing…In a few hours I shall stand before God, answering for my actions…I think I shall be able to uphold with a clear conscience all that I have done in the fight against Hitl*r…The worth of a [person]is certain only if he is prepared to sacrifice his life for his convictions.”

Christy, you are likewise an inspiration to me as well.

Ron, have you read the last two books by Richard Evans?

Yippee.

My daughter just had a baby boy at St. Elizabeth’s. I’m calling him John Edwards.

Congrats and health to all!!!