Around the World with the Wombat

A quick survey of Wombat-socho's "Live at Five: 12.01.14" for any exciting news.

Nope. none. . . . OK, just kidding:

Obama To Meddle Further In Ferguson Mess: Cabinet meeting will review DoD programs that provide military equipment to police - I haven't said much about Ferguson, mostly because I'm so disgusted with the behavior of almost everyone involved. I was 14 when the Watts Riots broke out in Los Angeles. It's quite clear that as a nation we have made enormous progress in providing minorities with equal rights under the law, but that has done little or nothing to ease racial tensions, and in fact has probably made the situation worse. But you have to admit, Ferguson makes a pretty good case for why small town cops might need MRAPs.

Hundreds Turn Out For Traficant Memorial Service Did they all wear the ceremonial orange jumpsuit and hairpieces? He rolled a farm tractor over on himself. Ugh.

Obamacare Small Business Site Opens To Weak Interest  - I guess this will have to pass as the almost daily Obamacare Shadenfreude. A quote:

The Post also reported that insurers are having trouble accessing their accounts on the site and are not appearing in the system's master lists of professionals available to advise small businesses. The paper reported, citing confidential federal documents, that parts of the online marketplace are still being tested. CMS spokesman Aaron Albright claimed that the sections of the site needed to explore and select health plans has been "thoroughly tested."

Another repeat of last year's computer debacle? This was the section of the law that the Preznit decided to delay a year? It doesn't seem like they took the extra time to bother to get it right.

Asian Crude Plunges As OPEC Refuses To Cut Production: WTI $64.60, Brent $68.31 - As I have said previously, I don't really mind OPEC and Russia trying to keep prices so low it keeps some shale from being profitable. Think of it as a strategic reserve we don't have to pay the federal government to maintain. And their plan may be working: Falling Oil Prices Just Put Two Major U.S. Shale Basins in the Red

"I'll take a case"

Girl Scout Cookie Online Sales Okayed - Samoas and Tagalongs without the guilt trip? That'll never work.

PNC Reveals Cost Of “Twelve Days Of Christmas” Gifts In Today’s Economy  - Only 27k ish, because those nasty Republicans held the minimum wage down (5 maids a-milking). Seems like a bargain.

Roku? Chromecast? Fire TV? Which Streaming Stick Is Right For You? - Been thinking about it but basic cable seems to keep us content 90% of the time.

Study: Social Media Misused By Researchers

In a paper published in the current issue of Science, computer scientists Derek Ruths and Jürgen Pfeffer of Carnegie Mellon outline a number of problems with academia's current usage of social media data to study human behavior.

These days, "thousands of research papers each year are now based on data gleaned from social media," so there are far-reaching implications to the poor methodology detailed by the researchers, Ruths told McGill University.

"Many of these papers are used to inform and justify decisions and investments among the public and in industry and government," he said.

Melanie Brown (Mel B)

I'm shocked, shocked to see science misused to fit government and business, aren't you?

Mel B (Scary Spice): “I Do Have A Big Ego, And I’m In Love With Myself” - I know you're also surpised to hear that a good looking, rich, talented woman would have a healthy ego. Doesn't she know she's supposed to be more self effacing?

Scarlet Johansson Weds In Secret Ceremony - Oh man, does this mean I'm out of the running? I'm always the last person to find out.

Snooki got married too. - Dodged a bullet there, I guess.

Bale tells Clooney to ‘stop whining’ - Always appropriate.

Iraq Graft Probe Finds 50,000 “Ghost Troops” So they learned a trick or two about governance from Washington DC?

Nigeria's Economy Challenged as U.S. Oil Exports Dry Up - Frack, baby frack. It's not that I hate the Nigerians, I just like us better.

Boko Haram Attacks Nigerian State Capital - But we should still help them make an example out of these guys.

Wombat-socho has the father of all Rule 5 posts, "Rule 5 Sunday: Ton O’ Luv" ready at The Other McCain.