Sande: December 2009

Happy New Year

Happy New Year!

My prediction for 2010 is simple - its going to be a great year for all of us!

I wish you the very best.

Montana Assisted Suicide Ruling

Montana may soon allow terminally ill state residents the right to seek assisted suicide.

BBC: Montana paves way for assisted suicide

The state's Supreme Court said there was nothing in its precedent showing that doctor-assisted suicide was against public policy.

'Dressed To Kill'

Sherlock Holmes with Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce.

Way Too Much Money

Let's tip our hats to Colorado legislators.

They have acknowledged something we all know to be true, $7.25 per hour is plenty of money, plenty.

Yahoo: Colorado's minimum wage becomes 1st in US to drop

Gingrich Lays A Massive Rotten Egg

Of all the insane blatherings from the right's mouthpiece du jour, Gingrich has outdone himself. That would be slithering under a bar set so low one must ooze their way under.

Wasting no time in attempting to capitalize on a failed terrorist attack with an intent to raise his wasted and pointless party from the ashes, Gingrich revitalizes the old Rove taunt of seeking therapy for terrorists.

Human Events: On Terrorism it's Time to Know, to Profile, and to Discriminate

In the Obama Administration, protecting the rights of terrorists has been more important than protecting the lives of Americans.

That must now change decisively.

When High Is Low

The numbers seem rather catastrophic to me. 432,000 initial jobless claims filed last week is outrageous. They will spin the number to have it appear as a triumph.

CNN: Jobless claims fall to 17-month low

There were 432,000 initial jobless claims filed in the week ended Dec. 26, down 22,000 from the previous week's revised 454,000, the Labor Department said. The figure is the lowest since July 19, 2008, when there were 413,000 claims filed.

2010

I am going to vote for calling the new year - twenty ten. Two thousand ten is too many syllables. People always go for the short nickname anyhow.

I was just thinking how one short year ago we still had Junior as president. Thank god that monstrosity is packed and moved.

Obama's Presidency is the highlight of the year, despite his resemblance to another version of corporatist insider. He's still a vast improvement over the Cheney - Bush cabal.

The Sacramento Bee: Hail the new year, but what do we call it?

The decision as the clock strikes midnight is: Should we say "Happy two thousand ten" or "Happy twenty ten."

The Market On New Year's Eve

At 8:30 a.m. futures are slightly up and oil is up as well, close to $80 per barrel.

One might suspect that today's market numbers will be the result of a tension between a sentiment to keep '09's rally going, oil being up, the weekly jobless claims report, and the fact that trading will be light and extra volatile.

We've had a relatively calm market all week, maybe recent history will help produce the same for today.

Recall how it was one short year ago. Everybody was worried sick about their investments if they had investments and the picture coming out was one of an economy on the brink of complete collapse. There has been improvement. We are in better shape.

CNN: Stocks set for early gain

The government's weekly jobless claims report is due before the market opens.

Reuters: Stock futures edge up as '09 ends, jobless data on tap

"For most people 2009 was the recovery from the abyss. We entered the year at amazingly pessimistic levels and with some very, very serious challenges toward keeping the financial system going."

'The Best Is Yet To Come'

Sinatra

I really love this song.

Executive Order

Click the link for the full order -

Less secrecy = more democracy

The White House: Classified National Security Information

This order prescribes a uniform system for classifying, safeguarding, and declassifying national security information, including information relating to defense against transnational terrorism. Our democratic principles require that the American people be informed of the activities of their Government. Also, our Nation's progress depends on the free flow of information both within the Government and to the American people. Nevertheless, throughout our history, the national defense has required that certain information be maintained in confidence in order to protect our citizens, our democratic institutions, our homeland security, and our interactions with foreign nations. Protecting information critical to our Nation's security and demonstrating our commitment to open Government through accurate and accountable application of classification standards and routine, secure, and effective declassification are equally important priorities.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, by the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Limbaugh Hospitalized

As much as I dislike this person's politics and public persona, I wish him a speedy recovery.

CBS 6: Report: Rush Limbaugh taken to Hawaii hospital

TPMtv - GOP Criticism Of Obama

New Jersey Sea Level Rise

Thanks to GK for posting this on his blog @ The Beach.

Full Body Scanners

What can we say, hopefully technology will take care of this airplane bombing craziness.

Yahoo: Dutch to use full body scanners for US flights

Facebook Taunt

Curious thing would you agree - we now have social networking systems like Facebook and as a result a whole new era of irritations and conflicts of interest.

There is something remarkably short sighted about this particular activity. Taunting the police - hm not too smart.

CBC News: U.K. fugitive taunts police on Facebook

Convicted burglar Craig Lynch, 28, has been updating his profile regularly since he escaped from prison in Suffolk three months ago.

He has been mocking authorities for failing to find him and openly musing about moving across the Atlantic. His profile picture shows him making an obscene gesture at the camera.

'Baraka' 10/10

Final episode of this fine film, its mostly the credits. I think I'm going to post all of it again in the future.

Abdulmutallab

We are in the accusation and ass covering phase of the Umar Farouk Abdulmatallab vis a vis Yemen terrorist attack on Christmas.

One would suspect that little information will come out surrounding who was in the middle of the decision to let this guy slip through. One might suspect that several red flags were in place.

Also we are now reading that the plan to close Gitmo may be a casualty of this unfortunate episode. One would also suspect that this is more of a political cautionary decision.

McClatchy: Likely casualty of air plot: Obama's Guantanamo plans

Cascading reports that the alleged would-be bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab had trained in Yemen, and that the plot was hatched by two former Guantanamo detainees, have even supporters of emptying the prison predicting a new impediment to their effort.

Nearly half of the 198 captives at Guantánamo are citizens of Yemen -- also the ancestral home of Osama bin Laden -- just south of Saudi Arabia.

McClatchy: Obama: 'Intelligence community' blew air bomber tip

Obama said..."It now appears that weeks ago this information was passed to a component of our intelligence community but was not effectively distributed so as to get the suspect's name on a no-fly list."

"When our government has information on a known extremist and that information is not shared and acted upon as it should have been, so that this extremist boards a plane with dangerous explosives that could cost nearly 300 lives, a systemic failure has occurred," he (Obama) said. "And I consider that totally unacceptable."

The Market On Wednesday

At 8:00 a.m. futures are moderately down. Its looking like Wall Street will open down a notch from yesterday's close.

Perusing the reports on why this is the case, one does not find a strong or compelling reason other than the notion that the few remaining investors in town for the week want to sell and make some profits. Its plausible.

This in between week, from 12-25 to 1-1 is always an unsettled time on many levels. Would you agree?

One could say that one thing to take from today's Wall Street reports is that nothing profoundly disastrous is being touted. That of course does not mean that its not there, or could be there, but its not stirring up fear and uncertainty at this point. One suspects the emphasis is on trying to promote a more optimistic outlook for 2010. Emotion still plays a role in affecting economic outcomes, isn't greed and emotion. Its the offspring of jealousy.

CNN: Stocks headed for lower start

Trading volume will likely be very low with many market participants out on holiday for the week, so small moves could cause major volatility during the shortened week on Wall Street.

Reuters: Stock futures fall with global stocks, year-end in focus

"There are some people that have made some money this year that have made some good bets, and at the end of the year they're going to take profits..."

'Sposa Son Disprezzata'

Cecilia Bartoli sings Vivaldi

I am a scorned wife
faithful, yet insulted
Heavens, what did I do?
Yet he is my love,
my husband, my beloved
my hope

'Lady Gaga Circa 2006'

Nikkei opens Lower On Wednesday

So far we've had a sideways type of week. Two more '09 days of trading to go.

Reuters: Nikkei weighed by JAL fall after hitting 4-month high

'Fear Merchants'

Avengers

Terrorism Victim

Very sad story here -

Johann Gokool was on the USS Cole when it was attacked by terrorists.

Nine years later Gokool, who lost his leg in the attack, has died. Relatives say Gokool's death is related to the attack.

There are a lot of people out there who escape from these attacks but often carry with them a great deal of trauma and fear.

McClatchy: Nine years later, USS Cole attack claims another victim

Relatives say he died in his bed, apparently during one of the violent panic attacks that had plagued him since the incident.

His younger brother found Gokool about 7 p.m. Dec. 23 in the house they shared. Medical examiners still haven't said what killed him, but relatives believe that a deadly attack stopped his heart.

TPMtv - Ron Paul And Ben Stein Argue Terrorism

Boy does this little clip trap some of the essential undecurrents surrounding America's view of terrorism. Ron Paul argues for trying to get at motivation. Ben Stein assumes psychotic behavior. Stein then goes on to accuse Ron Paul of being anti-Semitic to boot. In the process, the greatest helper in moving understanding forward is nowhere to be found. That would be considerate listening.

'Baraka' 9/10

Examining Goldman Sachs

Check out this clip at McClatchy on Goldman's moves on the sub prime mortgage crisis.

Goldman was in the center of causing the crisis, but also got out just prior to the recession. They then went on to make money betting that the mortgages would fail.

How does that happen?

Goldman Sachs' secret bets

McClatchy's Greg Gordon details how Wall Street colossus Goldman Sachs sold billions of dollars worth of risky bonds, while secretly betting that the housing market would drop and send the values plummeting.

The Market On Tuesday

At 8:40 a.m. futures are modestly up.

All indicators would point to another day of mild changes in the market at least initially.

Because many investors are on vacation, trading volume will be low, and this leads to more volatility.

Data on consumer confidence comes out this morning.

Are you confident? Are you consuming, Mr. and Mrs. Consumer? I am consuming, yet I'm only slightly confident, but I am happy.

CNN: Stocks looking for lucky 7th gain

After the opening bell, the Conference Board will release its December report on consumer confidence. Economists surveyed by Briefing.com expect a rise in the confidence index to 53 from 49.5 in November.

Reuters: Stock futures rise as home price, consumer data on tap

Stabilizing home prices are "absolutely essential...The way out of this is through housing."

'Bad Romance'

Lady Gaga

Nikkei Is Flat On Tuesday

Reuters: Nikkei flat after rally, exporters weigh

Be-Fiend-Ed

I am working like a fiend tonight, trying to finish our bathroom work. I've been in it up to my eyeballs for several days now.

Tiling at the moment and its subway tiles which are a tedious little...

Hopefully the world didn't fall apart today cause I'm missing the news.

Will catch up later. Have a good evening.

Top Gross

This is the top money grossing film of 2009.

We are devo...

TPMtv - Lieberman Wants Yemen

Optimisitic Prediction

Many saw Krugman on "This Week With George Stephanopoulos" predict that the economy could contract by the end of 2010.

Bloomberg's has economist Dean Maki predicting that 2010 will be all clear sailing.

So who do we believe.

At this point the best tactic in my opinion is to keep your eyes and ears on the day by day indicators. In other words keep in steady contact with the available news sources, especially the superior news sources. The other alternative is to formally become an economist but you might not have enough time.

Bloomberg: Economy Poised for Surge as Most Accurate Economist Sees U.S.

The world’s largest economy will expand 3.5 percent in 2010, according to Maki, the chief U.S. economist at Barclays Capital Inc. in New York. The rebound in stocks and rising incomes will prompt Americans to do what they do best --consume...

Household spending “will pick up steam as we move into the second half of 2010...

Trans Fat Ban

California gets out ahead of the curve by banning restaurants from frying foods in trans fat starting Friday.

If they also banned white flour, scads of sugar, and the huge list of additives and processed food accessories, they would also see a major reduction in obesity, especially if the ban were to include supermarkets and all food distributors.

We may have to wait a long time for that one.

What a coup this would be. Not only would obesity decrease but health care costs would also decrease. People eat junk and the body responds in kind by getting junky as well.

McClatchy: War on fat: California trans-fat ban goes into effect Friday

California will bar restaurants from cooking with trans fat beginning New Year's Day...

Trans fat is created when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil, a process called hydrogenation meant to improve the shelf life and enhance the flavor of foods.

The process turns liquid oils into solid fats, such as shortening or stick margarine, which have been used in french fries, baked goods, crackers, candies, snack foods, fried foods and other items.

The American Heart Association recommends limiting trans fat to less than 1 percent of total calories consumed daily.

The Market On Monday

At 7:40 a.m. futures are ever so slightly up.

Markets will be closed on Friday, New Year's Day.

Oil is up over $78 per barrel. Many investors are on vacation and so the light volume is accompanied by more volatility. There are no major economic reports on tap for today however investors are predicting airline stocks will fall due to the terrorist incident over the weekend.

At this point the signs are pointing towards a sideways type of day, but as always this could change.

CNN: Stocks set to start the week higher

Wall Street is gearing up for an unpredictable week amid light trading volume.

Reuters: Stock futures edge up as investors eye year-end

Oil hit a four-week high above $78 a barrel as colder weather across the U.S. and fresh signs of an economic recovery helped boost the outlook for fuel demand.

'Stand'

Sly and the Family Stone

Nikkei Opens Higher On Monday

The reports would have us believe that the markets are going to end the year strong.

Skepticism, pin point accuracy, some historical contextual references, and a lot of information on corporate assets, trends, and management skills are far more handy in market prediction. Oh yeah, did I leave out essential information on consumerist economic activity.

Reuters: Nikkei hits 4-month high on exporters, Takashimaya

Sex Science

Now who doesn't like a good science story especially when its about -

S E X...

Live Science: The 9 Most Provocative Sex Science Stories of 2009

Sex smells.

Pulling out works. Well, most of the time..."almost as effective as the male condom"...

Its A Meditators Inside Thing

From a deep operative -

'Baraka' 8/10

They're Back

The potential for a great disaster was there. Fortunately the mechanism failed and instead of an explosion, he started a fire and burned himself. Hats off to the heroic efforts to subdue this guy.

At age 23, on can assume that he was not thinking clearly. The danger is in his youthful arrogance and ideological perspective free conviction.

Essentially we hope the authorities trace this back to the source and extinguish this threat completely.

Gulf News: Nigerian man charged in Christmas airliner attack

The suspect claimed to have received training and instructions from Al Qaida operatives in Yemen...

An affidavit said he had a device containing a high explosive attached to his body.

PETN is often used in military explosives and found inside blasting caps. But terrorists like it because it's small and powerful.

Coming Up On Wall Street

Wall Street will be closed on Friday, New Year's Day.

The DOW has passed 10,500, oil is up around $78, and investors are predicting a strong January. We now get into the so called "January Effect", more bullish market activity is desired.

The sentiment is to not let this in between week, December 28th to the 31st, get you rattled. Many investors are vacationing and when trading is low, volatility is high.

What a difference a year makes. Recall the mood from one year ago. Essentially everybody was worried sick. It was a dark period.

Our wish for the new year is to see job creation on a significant scale. The money is there.

CNN: Wall Street counts down to a new year

"It's always an interesting week, one you can't ever really predict..."

Little economic news is on tap...

"There's a lot of cash on corporate balance sheets that can be put to use."

'Étude Nr. 1 - Désordre'

Giuseppe Andaloro plays György Ligeti

Medicaid Abuse

Humanity marches forward...

Albany Times Union: Taxpayers finance $196,000 ride

A Dutchess County woman took a daily $300 taxi ride to visit her son in Albany for three years -- and taxpayers picked up the tab.

U.S. Debt

Gulp...

U.S. Debt Clock

'Baraka' 7/10

The Bush Tax Cuts

Bush's massive tax cuts for the wealthy which have propelled the deficit are setting at the end of 2010.

It is expected that Congress will postpone any action on the cuts. Congress is worried that their necks will be on the line in an election year.

McClatchy: The lingering Bush legacy: What to do about those tax cuts

By passing a temporary extension of temporary tax reductions, the Obama administration and Democrats in Congress can buy time, she said, and the likely outcome is the formation of a study group to examine the kinds of extensive tax revisions that many experts argue are needed.

President Barack Obama has said that he expects to retain most of the Bush tax reductions, letting them expire only for individuals or couples who earn more than $250,000 annually in taxable income.

Your Weekly Address

Idiocy Take 20

H.S., I spent the day with relatives, eat and be merry, head off to bed, check in on the computer and bam - terrorism is back.

Sounds like some p - poor checking on the European side.

Glad this joker didn't get his wish. Kudos to the people that subdued this person.

CNN: Explosive device set off aboard airliner

To Your Good Health

From a deep operative -

Let's make 2010 the year of our own good health. Let's have our own personal health care reform.

Wellness Resources: Top 10 Nutrients of 2009

#1 – DHA

The long chain essential fatty acid known as DHA continues to be of extreme importance to human health at all ages. Amazing new research results for many health issues build on the thousands of existing studies. Of course, there is a huge difference in quality DHA fish oil, compared to other products that are faking people out and trying to pretend to be better. Consumer beware, you need a certain number of milligrams of DHA in your diet for optimal health benefits.

'Symphony Number 3' Part 2

Continuing from yesterday -

Karajan conducts Beethoven's Third Symphony AKA 'The Eroica.'

Detroit Art Explosion

Detroit is of great interest.

Its a city in extreme decline, ghost town to thousands of magnificent structures and homes now in disrepair and decay. We recently read that unemployment in Detroit has topped 50%. The stresses on the people in Detroit are as bad as it gets in America.

Check this link out and watch the clip embedded on the home page. Its about a large ongoing art project involving an entire urban area. Very cool...

The Heidelberg Project

'Baraka' 6/10

Health Care Reform On Friday

Requiring people to have health insurance and then forcing them to pay a penalty if they do not is an atrocious law.

The main reason why people don't have insurance is because they can't afford it.

If you can't afford insurance, penalizing someone for not being able to afford it is among the most absurd rules to come down the pike. Why don't we start penalizing the homeless for being homeless.

One might suspect that one reason for doing this would be to create some kind of even playing field for how much each procedure can cost or charged (to insurance companies). At present, when the uninsured enter a hospital they are charged way in excess of what an insured person is charged. The poor pay the highest amount. The insured pay less.

I fear this thing is an abomination.

McClatchy: What Congress' health care overhaul likely means for you

Q: I don't have health insurance. Would I have to get it, and what happens if I don't?

A: Under both bills, most Americans would be required to have coverage or to pay a penalty. Some would be exempted from the requirement, called an individual mandate, due to financial hardship or religious reasons. Under the House bill, you'd have to have coverage by 2013 or pay up to 2.5 percent of your income; the penalty couldn't exceed the average cost of a plan sold in the exchanges.

The Senate version would take effect in 2014. The penalty for not having coverage would be $95 in 2014 or 0.5 percent of an individual's income, whichever is higher. The penalty would rise in 2016 to $750, or 2 percent of income, up to the cost of the cheapest health plan.

Oil Up

Oil per barrel went over $78 per barrel on Thursday.

The amazing run in the equities market continues and this increase in oil only deepens that run.

Reuters: Oil rises above $78, inventories support

Oil inventories have fallen elsewhere in the world over the past week, including Northwest Europe and Japan, the world's third largest oil consumer.

'Symphony Number 3' Part 1

Herbert Von Karajan conducts Beethoven's 'Eroica.'

'From Venus With Love'

The Avengers

Happy Holidays

Family is over. Food is abundant. Worries are at bay. Ease of mind is at work. Winter is here. Politics is ...

Hey, the economy is improving, a little bit.

I hope you all have an excellent holiday season.

The only present I want is for more of you to actually write comments, how about it. I know you're there. I promise no one will bite or if you prefer, that someone will bite.

Regardless, have a great night, day, and weekend.

Jim

'Baraka' 5/10

Buddhists Get Into The Act

How about this, Tibetan Buddhists in the Himalayas are getting into environmental protection.

We applaud this activity.

KHORYUG

KHORYUG is a network of Buddhist monasteries and centers in the Himalayas working together on environmental protection of the Himalayan region with the aim of practically applying the values of compassion and interdependence towards the Earth and all living beings that dwell here.

US Population Trends

New figures on US population shifts are out.

There are roughly 307 million people in America now.

Texas is still growing gaining almost 500,000 people.

Notice that the shifts would change the makeup of Congress. Also notice that blue states would be losing seats in Congress while red states would be gaining.

Those shifts will not occur until an official census is taken in 2010.

USA Today: U.S. Census Bureau Population 2009

If congressional seats were assigned based on the July 1 estimates, Texas would be the big winner, gaining three seats, said Kimball Brace, president of Election Data Services a consulting firm that specializes in election administration.

Gaining one seat each would be Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, South Carolina, Utah and Washington.

Ohio would lose two House seats. Losing one each would be Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.

The new estimates are a change from last year when Illinois had enough population to keep all its House seats and Ohio had enough people to lose just one seat..

Senate's Christmas Eve Health Reform

As you know it passed 60 - 39 at 7:15 a.m., one Republican did not vote.

We still don't really know what this thing is going to be because now that it has passed the Senate, it has to be reconciled with the bill passed by the House in November.

Its here, probably doesn't go into effect till 2014 or so. Who knows what kind of power dynamics will shift what happened today in the next 4 years.

One might suspect that if employment picks up, Obama has a shot at re-election. Some say this is an Obama victory.

McClatchy: It's done: Senate approves health care overhaul, 60-39

The House wants to impose a 5.4 percent income tax surcharge on individuals earning $500,000 and couples making more than $1 million, starting in 2011, a change that would begin to restore some of the Bush era tax cuts.

But the Senate has other ideas, preferring a 40 percent excise tax on more expensive employer-sponsored insurance plans and a 0.9 percentage point increase in the 1.45 percent Medicare tax on the wealthy.

The Market On Thursday

At 7:45 a.m. futures are modestly up. The market is poised to once again open higher. With the markets closing for the weekend today at 1:00 p.m. EST, trading will be lighter. The DOW at 10,500 is still in sight, could this be the day's trajectory...

As you know, the Senate passed the health care reform bill. Investors have already factored this into the equation and notice how insurance equities are rising just fine.

Hmm.

Keep your eye on the government's numbers for weekly jobless claims.

CNN: Wall Street looks for cheery open

"The Santa rally is going to continue..."

Also due in the morning is the government's weekly jobless claims report.

Reuters: Futures up ahead of jobless, durable goods data

...orders for long-lasting goods are expected to rise 0.5 percent after dropping 0.6 percent in October...

'Suzanne'

Leonard Cohen

Social Pain Pill

Scientists are investigating the range of pain from physical to psychic to social.

The next step - a drug to alleviate any or all of it.

Live Science: Pain Pills Could Ease Hurt Feelings

The finding builds on research showing that psychological blows not only feel like they hurt us, they actually do. For instance, scientists have found a gene linked with both physical pain and a person's sensitivity to rejection. And some of the same brain regions are linked with both pain types.

'Baraka' 4/10

TPMtv - Your Senate On Diapers

Grown men, yet infantile behavior, its always an appealing and attractive thing to witness...

Rubberize

Talk about more bang for the buck...

Family planning beats solar and all that is green as a less costly way for combating CO2 emissions.

Certainly makes sense, would you agree - less people = less emissions.

How do you get the abstinence only Bushie crowd to get on board this one.

If you think there are global warming deniers now wait till the fundamentalist right gets a hold of this one...

Optimum Population: CONTRACEPTION IS “GREENEST” TECHNOLOGY - Family planning cheapest way to combat climate change

The report, Fewer Emitters, Lower Emissions, Less Cost, commissioned by the Optimum Population Trust from the London School of Economics*, concludes that “considered purely as a method of reducing future CO2 emissions”, family planning is more cost-effective than leading low-carbon technologies. It says family planning should be seen as one of the primary methods of emissions reduction.

Knicked

My one remaining pleasure in professional sports is the NBA.

I always liked basketball. Used to play with the noontime YMCA crowd through the 90s. Now the knees are unwilling and the back is at best tricky.

Being a NYer, the team of choice is the Knicks. Yes I am a Knicks fan. Baseball is fair, Football is sanctioned thuggery, but the Knicks are my team.

Post Patrick Ewing, the team has been a disaster.

This year they started at a miserable 1 win and 9 losses. The toilet loomed.

But, praise Jesus, they are turning around. The team has an excellent record for December. Now there is even fragile talk of playoffs and such. That would be the s**t.

Its Duhan, Gallinari, Lee, Chandler, and Jeffries. Seriously now, how can you not like a team that has a native of Italy on it, playing pro basketball no less, and he can shoot.

Knicks...