Bloods for Billions

May 6, 2008RobotPirateNinja business, curious, pirate, sport, us Tags: fighting, money, ufc Leave a comment

It’s the Ultimate Money Machine. That night before the Super Bowl 10,700 fans packed the arena, paying an average of $340 for a ticket to witness nine mixed martial arts fights. Another 500,000 fans paid $45 ($55 for high definition) to watch five of the nine fights at home. The total haul from the event: $25 million.

This year UFC is likely to generate $250 million, capturing perhaps 90% of mixed martial arts revenue. The majority of UFC revenues come from the monthly pay-per-view events. Additional cash is made from ticket sales to live fights and licensing fees from its Spike cable shows The Ultimate Fighter and UFC Fight Night . These shows in turn act as promotional tools to drive fans to pay-per-view events. More scratch comes from sales of DVDs and T shirts, as well as downloads from UFC’s library of past bouts.

My guess is that you’ll see a backlash by the fighters of the UFC before too long, as they realize how big the pie they’ve been fighting for actually is.

Fox New is a Bunch of A-Holes

May 6, 2008RobotPirateNinja africa, asia, Doh, media Tags: food prices, fox sucks, u.n., world food program Leave a comment

FOXNews.com – U.N.’s World Food Program Cried Poverty While Sitting on Cash Stockpile of More Than $1.22 Billion – International News | News of the World | Middle East News | Europe News

Hours after FOX News’ publication of this story, WFP acknowledged the $1.22 billion in cash reserves, which it said “represents between three and four months of WFP’s annual operating revenue.

“Of that $1.22 billion, more than 90 percent is either committed to ongoing food needs, or comprises mandatory reserve requirements necessary for prudent financial management of an organization of its size (i.e. unfunded liabilities for pensions),” Brenda Barton, WFP’s deputy director of communications and public policy strategy e-mailed FOX News.

“This system of cash management is akin to that of a family who has $2,000 in the bank, of which the majority is committed for mortgage, car payment and groceries,” she wrote.

What I quoted above is the “correction” of the article, after they actually contacted the WFP for a statement. If you read the article (which normally I wouldn’t recommend, except that it illustrates what a joke Fox is) you will get an entirely different impression of the economic situation (i.e. they are cash-rich and begging for more).

Ultimately, like other crises the world faces, it is the poor that will feel the greatest pain for the excesses and whims of the powerful. And Fox is there to pile it on. Assholes.

Heroism Knows No Age

May 6, 2008RobotPirateNinja us, war Tags: afghanistan, hero, war Leave a comment

FayObserver.com – Current Article Page

Master Sgt. Brendan O’Connor on Wednesday received the Distinguished Service Cross, the Army’s second-highest valor award, for his actions during a 17-hour battle in Afghanistan.

The 47-year-old Special Forces medical sergeant spoke with humor and humility after the medal was pinned on his uniform in a ceremony at Bank Hall on Fort Bragg.

“My word” O’Connor said, reacting to praise by a three-star Army general and a four-star Navy admiral. “My name is Brendan O’Connor, and I didn’t fully approve that message.”

In his self-effacing remarks, O’Connor apologized to his children for missing birthdays and thanked his wife, Margaret, for what she has done in raising their family in his absence.

Great stuff, sir. Charlie Wilson sends his thanks for helping to clean up the mess.