Follow the money

I should never have stopped playing the cello. Tired of hearing about starving musicians? This Panamanian offshore money bombshell is unbelievable.

http://www.theguardian.com/news/2016/apr/03/panama-papers-money-hidden-offshore

And the Brazil scandal isn't far behind...

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/04/world/americas/insiders-account-of-how-graft-fed-brazils-political-crisis.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=first-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0

The story in Ossetia is pretty incredible, the slow incremental land grab. The Russians are such wonderful neighbors.

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/04/georgia-border-russia-vladimir-putin-213787

UNAOIL - the company that bribed the world.

Helen takes the best vacations. Follow her blog. She sends me this picture from the market in Jodphur, India. A rat poison salesman. Now where was he when I needed him?

And imagine this. The coal companies may be so broke that they can't afford to clean up after themselves.  Poor Arch Coal execs gave themselves an $8 million dollar bonus three days before declaring bankruptcy and $29 million in the prior year.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/can-coal-companies-afford-to-clean-up-coal-country/2016/04/01/c175570c-ec73-11e5-a6f3-21ccdbc5f74e_story.html?postshare=6051459695538610&tid=ss_gp

End of coal? Maybe not.

“You can’t afford to quit mining because when you get into reclamation you not only quit making any money you’ve got to start spending millions on reclamation,” said Bob Hodge, an IHS analyst. “That’s the reason why they are doing everything they can to dial it back.”

100 year old woman evicted from her apartment in Palm Springs.

Riverside County Judge Charles Haines ruled against Heller without any deliberation.
He issued his judgment in a low, hushed tone that she couldn’t hear.
Outside the courtroom, a deputy had to explain to her that she had lost.
“What? What kind of ridiculous thing is that?” she snapped, as the reality of the ruling set in. “But I don’t have any money.”

Riverside County Judge Charles Haines (ex D.A.)

Where's George Smiley when you need him? Interesting Kim Philby video surfaces.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-35943428

I am having phone and internet problems at work, must be a short in the line somewhere, service is sporadic. If you need to connect with me, use my cell phone.

huffpo