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Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Good Night

'Athens - The Little Great City'

Athens I The Little Great City from emmanouil papadopoulos on Vimeo.

Nikkei Opens Higher On Thursday

Reuters: Nikkei above 25-day average after central bank steps

Dalai Lama: Inner Peace, Happiness, God And Money

DOW Closes Much Higher

The DOW closed at 12,045.68 gaining 490.05 points.

Wow, that is a large jump.

CNN: Stocks stage a huge rally

Pope - End Death Penalty

The Pope is calling for an end to the death penalty.

NPR: Pope Seeks End To Death Penalty

Give Thanks

AlterNet: A Look at America's Geography Shows That the Tea Party Is Doomed

The Daily Show - After Dark, Oooh Yeah Edition

TRNN - CUNY Raises Tuition As Fee Hikes Spread Across Campuses


More at The Real News

Democracy Now - Wednesday, November 30, 2011

DOW Amazingly Higher At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 11,969.55 up 413.92 points.

CNN: Stocks stage a huge rally

Have A Good Morning

Jeff Koons

The Onion - U.S. Adds 4 Million Jobs But In St. Louis

The Onion: U.S. Adds 4 Million Jobs But In St. Louis

Climate Change Talks

We get the sense that these talks are doing absolutely nothing.

Live Science: Annual Climate Change Talks Face Same Big Challenge

Al Jazeera - Britain To Face Largest Strike In Decades

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

The Market On Wednesday

Good morning. It is 47 degrees and sunny here in Upstate NY. Our unusually moderate and pleasing weather continues. We were out early walking the new puppy all around the neighborhood. The puppy is continuing to make strides with her training and all around connection to her owners, she is gaining confidence. Let me just say that if you ever want a wonderful dog, check out the yellow lab. They have a wonderful disposition.

At 8:10 futures are moderately higher, oil is down, and the dollar is up.

Two moves seem to be propelling futures higher.

First there is some action being taken in Europe to stabilize their financial crisis. The fact that any action is being taken at all is enough to allay investors' worries about a global financial meltdown.

Second, Chinese has announced changes in its banking requirement policy, which will in turn make more money liquid and accessible.

Investors are applauding both moves. In addition reports on labor in November and housing will come out today.

Personally, I am surprised by this week's positive financial news. It is the exact opposite of what I had imagined for this week. I was figuring the DOW drops into the 10K area. Who knew...

CNN: Stocks get lift from abroad
...reports said eurozone finance ministers have approved an increase to the region's bailout fund, and may potentially receive help from the IMF.


China also announced Wednesday that it will cut its banks' reserve requirements, to help ease liquidity and prop up the global economy.


...reports on the job market, home sales, labor costs and the Federal Reserve's "Beige Book" report.

'Get Ready'

The Temptations

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Good Night

Limited edition Jeff Koons design.

'The Beauty Of A Second'

Seconds Of Beauty - 1st round compilation from The Beauty Of A Second on Vimeo.

Housing Remains A Mess

Apparently consumer sentiment is astoundingly high, or at least higher than consumer sentiment scientists had imagined.

On the flip side, home prices in many cities continues to fall. As housing is a pillar of the economy, this does not bode well in relation to the economic recovery.

Reuters: Consumers more hopeful but home prices fall

DOW Closes Higher

The DOW closed at 11,555.63 gaining 32.62 points.

CNN: A French downgrade could derail eurozone rescue

Tax Up

The website for the group of millionaires who want to see increases in taxes on the rich - Patriotic Millionaires For Fiscal Strength

Coulter Censored

Love it.

Unfortunately she is not censored 100% of the time...

The Daily Show - Spray It Forward

TRNN - The Right To Occupy, The Right To Assemble?


More at The Real News

Democracy Now - Tuesday, November 29, 2011

DOW Higher At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is up 83 points at 11,605.

CNN: Stocks advance on hopes for Europe

British Tram Ride

One might suspect that with economic conditions in the Eurozone getting harsher and harsher that right wing racist tendencies will build into political movements aimed at ethnic purity.

This woman with the little boy is swearing at the other passengers on the train for not being white and British. The passengers seem to be doing a remarkable job of tolerating her. Upon closer inspection one might suspect that the woman in the center of the storm is facing a situation where possibly she has little income of her own, perhaps her husband has left her or is now unemployed himself. She is of course directing her frustration at the wrong people. If she were able to so, she might try to understand the policies of the wealthiest elite who have fundamentally altered the economic landscape of Europe.

What we are witnessing is another triumph for the wealthy elite for they can take comfort in knowing that their own massive abuse and criminality heaped on ordinary people is simply blamed by the masses on the weakest links in the society, the immigrant population. They get off scot-free thanks to the amazing failure of MSM to reveal anything of value to the ordinary citizen and which simultaneously maintains the fundamental concept of a divine omni-beneficial elite upper class.

Shrinking Privacy

AlterNet: Our Right to Privacy Has Been Systematically Shrunk. What's Left?

Have A Good Morning

John Currin

The Onion - Older Hispanic Men Line Up Excitedly For 'Breaking Dawn' Premiere


Older Hispanic Men Line Up Excitedly For 'Breaking Dawn' Premiere

Warm North Cold South

We have role reversal going on at present with the North unusually warm and the South getting snow.

Live Science: Snow-vember Surprise: Why Deep South Is Seeing Frosty Weather

Al Jazeera - OECD Cuts Global Growth Forecast

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

The Market On Tuesday

Good morning. It is 48 degrees and cloudy here in Upstate NY. We have been under the spell of a long series of warmer than normal days. Considering about a month ago we had freezing temperatures and snow, and we are moving closer to the heart of winter, this seems odd but no one is complaining just enjoying less layers of clothing. My 2.5 mile walk has been usurped by an hour long early morning dog walk. The new puppy is making leaps and bounds with her training and leash attention. We call her the perfect puppy, something about the yellow Labrador is very agreeable. She's even getting more confident around other dogs.

At 8:00 a.m. futures are moderately higher, the dollar is down, and oil is up. The market is presently poised to open higher given the proper trifecta alignment.

Investors are still basking in the afterglow of a major record breaking Black Friday. People were willing to risk life and limb in order to snap up all the alleged bargains. Right now I would like to give stuff away this holiday season, I don't really need anything. Not that I don't mind gifts but I'm also having an impulse to lighten the load, purge as it were. I want less stuff, less clutter.

Investors are also willing to suspend all signs of an imploding Eurozone on word of a new two day meeting to hammer out a new bogus solution to Europe's deepening financial crisis. Good luck with that.

CNN: Stocks head for a second day of gains
A two-day meeting of eurozone finance ministers gets underway Tuesday and investors are hopeful of hearing more concrete details for a solution.


...investors continuing to cheer strong consumer spending...


New data on home prices and consumer confidence will be released on Tuesday.

'Untitled'

Getatchw and ICP Orchestra

Monday, November 28, 2011

Good Night

Nikkei Opens Higher On Tuesday

Reuters: Nikkei gains on euro zone progress hopes

Herman Toast

The amusing part will be the right wing blaming this on liberals. Can't wait for Coulter's venom, poor girl is probably penning it right now.

Daily Mail: FIFTH Herman Cain accuser comes forward with claims of a 13-year affair with presidential candidate

Stress Reduction 1 Of 6

Jon Kabat-Zinn is Howard Zinn's son. Not a big fan of the music but the message is good.

'Slim Pickings Fat Chances'

Slim Pickings Fat Chances from David de Rooij on Vimeo.

DOW Closes Higher

The DOW closed at 11,523.01 gaining 291.23 points.

I bet a lot of Black Friday was done on credit cards, I could be wrong, but I would like to see data on it.

CNN: Stocks rally on robust Black Friday sales

The Dalai Lama - Dealing With Anger

New DNC Anti-Mitt Ad

Ken Russell Dies

Reuters: "Women in Love" director Ken Russell dies

'Salome's Last Dance' trailer

Barney Retires

Yahoo: Barney Frank Will Retire From Congress

More Action

Alter Net: Inside the Student Movement: Undeterred by Crackdown, Activists Around the Country Gear Up for Bigger Actions

TRNN - Democratic Governance Is Becoming Discredited


More at The Real News

Democracy Now - Monday, November 28, 2011

DOW Significantly Higher At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is 313 points higher at 11,545.

CNN: Stocks rally 3% on robust Black Friday sales

Have A Good Morning

John Currin - 'Big Hands'

The Onion - DEA Official Announces Successful Drug Bust On Son's Room


DEA Official Announces Successful Drug Bust On Son's Room

Safety First

Live Science: 9 Tips to Help You Shop Safely on Cyber Monday

Al Jazeera - Deadly Virus Found In Wild Pacific Salmon

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

The Market On Monday

Good morning. In Upstate NY it is 54 degrees, presently cloudy-ish but with a rain logo presumably for later on. I hope you had a good extended holiday weekend. Thanksgiving is over. Next up come the Christmas/Happy Holidays. December is almost a give-a-way month with so much emphasis on the holidays and all attention placed on it, like it or not. I like giving and receiving presents, always did, still do.

At 8:25 a.m. futures are wildly higher, the dollar is down, and oil is significantly higher closing in on $100 per barrel again. Barring Armageddon the market will open higher.

Investors are incredibly pleased with you, oh dear consumer. You have demonstrated a willingness to spend lots of money on Black Friday, in fact a record amount of money was spent on Black Friday. And may I ask where did you get all this money consumer? I thought you were broke and out of work. Are you hitting up the old credit card again...

Add to this spending euphoria a mild decision to ignore the deepening ongoing Eurozone crisis and voila, we have a winning morning on tap, a sea of green dollars.

CNN: Stocks set for big gains
Major retailers reported record sales of $52.4 billion over Black Friday weekend -- up 16% from last year...


...reports about a coordinated effort to create some type of fiscal union in Europe appears to be lifting sentiment.


A report on new home sales is due at 10 a.m. ET.

'Dig A Pony'

Beatles

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Good Night

Nikkei Opens Higher On Monday

Reuters: Nikkei climbs 1 pct after declining last week

Reuters: Futures rise in electronic trade on Europe hopes

Capital Punishment

AFP: Capital punishment slowly loses ground in US

Spicey

Good stuff - I've been using turmeric for a while now.

Yahoo: 8 of the World’s Healthiest Spices & Herbs You Should Be Eating
Saffron - May help: Lift your mood.

Overlap

BPA In Canned Soup

BBC: Eating canned soup 'poses a chemical risk'

Chomsky - 7th Edward Said Memorial Lecture

Chomsky begins speaking at 14:38.

To Do

Brain Pickings: John Lennon’s Handwritten To-Do List

Have A Good Morning

work by John Currin

The Onion - Grandmother Classifies 79% Of Everything A Shame

The Onion: Grandmother Classifies 79% Of Everything A Shame

Acetaminophen O.D.

Taking even just a little bit over the recommended dose over a several day period can have even worse effects than taking too many pills at one time.

Live Science: Sneaky Killer: Just a Little Too Much Tylenol Can Be Deadly

Al Jazeera - Irish Continue To Suffer Amid Economic Crisis

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

Connecting The Dots - The Crack Down On Occupy

Naomi Wolf has done a good job of connecting the dots regarding the crackdown on the Occupy movement. Occupy has hit the nail on the head, they have exposed the raw spot of America's solid link between political greed and corporate greed. When political greed and corporate greed are intrinsically linked and vehemently upheld, the ordinary citizen is left out of the equation. The ordinary citizen merely becomes a resource to be mined for assets and to support the link. Once the assets are extracted, the ordinary citizen is hung out to dry left with a flimsy excuse for democracy all shoved down their throats from the right wing of both parties, the fixated supporters of the status quo link.

Guardian UK: The shocking truth about the crackdown on Occupy
The No 1 agenda item: get the money out of politics. Most often cited was legislation to blunt the effect of the Citizens United ruling, which lets boundless sums enter the campaign process. No 2: reform the banking system to prevent fraud and manipulation, with the most frequent item being to restore the Glass-Steagall Act – the Depression-era law, done away with by President Clinton, that separates investment banks from commercial banks. This law would correct the conditions for the recent crisis, as investment banks could not take risks for profit that create kale derivatives out of thin air, and wipe out the commercial and savings banks.


No 3 was the most clarifying: draft laws against the little-known loophole that currently allows members of Congress to pass legislation affecting Delaware-based corporations in which they themselves are investors.


But wait: why on earth would Congress advise violent militarised reactions against its own peaceful constituents? The answer is straightforward: in recent years, members of Congress have started entering the system as members of the middle class (or upper middle class) – but they are leaving DC privy to vast personal wealth, as we see from the "scandal" of presidential contender Newt Gingrich's having been paid $1.8m for a few hours' "consulting" to special interests.

'Sweet Little Blossom'

Henry Phillips

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Good Night

'The Picture Of Dorian Gray'

The Picture of Dorian Gray from Thomas Beg on Vimeo.

Al Jazeera - Nuclear Waste Train In Germany Protested

Occupy L.A. Ordered To Go

The Daily Mall: Mayor orders protesters to leave by Monday... as he sends in SOCIAL WORKERS to break-up camp

UK Obesity

Obesity is in the news today.

Continuing with that theme...

BBC: UK women are 'fattest in Europe'

'Wallflower'

'Fringe' episode 7 season 4

Have A Good Morning

work by John Currin

The Onion - Hummingbird Back At Feeder Again, Grandmother Reports

The Onion: Hummingbird Back At Feeder Again, Grandmother Reports

And I Walked In Here Because...

Live Science: Forget Why You Walked in a Room? Doorways to Blame, Study Finds

Al Jazeera - NASA To Launch New Mars Rover

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

Coming Up On Wall Street

Good morning. We are having significantly nice weather and temperatures here in Upstate NY, consecutive days of cold nights and clear, sunny, and pleasantly cool days. Allegedly the heating specialists call these 'fringe' days. Some of the more complex heating systems in larger institutions are not quite sure what to make of the wide temperature swings on fringe days. The automatic temperature thermostats can get moody.

The snowball that we have referred to as the Eurozone debt crisis is gathering size. The majority of losses in the equities market are attributed to a steady flow of poor economic news out of Europe. The DOW is presently at 11,231.78 and one can speculate that the 11K to 10K threshold will be crossed. The most salient quote that I have read on the crisis refers to politicians trying to buy time until European countries install their harsh austerity measures satisfying the appetites of the elite banking conservatives and stressing the lives of the ordinary citizens in countries like Greece, Portugal, and Italy.

Important economic data from the USA will also come out next week, data on home sales, home pricing, consumer confidence (one of the uglier binomial nomenclatures in the English language), and employment. Next Friday will be December 2nd and the government will be releasing monthly jobs data.

One suspects that the week will bring a tug of war between the ongoing Eurozone crisis news and the important US economic news. The temptation to write down a prediction is strong but always flawed. In spite of this I generally default to pessimism with the market, and so I would predict the Eurozone crisis continues to dominate and takes the DOW lower into the 10K range.

Reuters: Europe bond yields to keep stocks spellbound
With the specter of rising yields, France, Britain, Italy, Belgium and Spain are holding debt sales next week. The direction of bond yields will determine the direction of equity markets.


As the latest reminder from markets to politicians that they are running out of time, Belgium's credit rating was downgraded by Standard & Poor's.


Some of the most important U.S. economic monthly data will be released next week...

Hey NBA

Reuters: New NBA season likely to begin on Christmas Day

Obesity Rates Increase



Health planners have their work cut out. Obesity rates continue to soar with half the US population projected to be significantly overweight, obese, by 2030. When a person's weight is 20% or more heavier than normal they are considered obese. Obesity is a marker for many health risks.

ABC: Obesity Rates Projected to Soar
...half of the U.S. population will be obese by 2030, according to a new report.


The current trajectory (sees) 65 million more obese adults, raising the national total to 164 million. Roughly one-third of the U.S. population is currently obese.

CNN - NASA Prepares For Mars Mission

'Concerto For Four Violins'

Telemann is ethereal.

Friday, November 25, 2011

Good Night

Drawing by Max Beckmann

Police Knock Out Grandpa

People are nuts this year, I will be shopping online.

'Patakiskola'

Streamschool (Patakiskola) from Péter Vácz on Vimeo.

Shopper Pepper Sprays Others To Get At Xbox

Amazingly the bar has been lowered. I truly believed the bottom was firmly in place.

Not so...

DOW Closes Lower

The DOW closed at 11,231.94 dropping 25.61 points.

Wall Street closed at 1pm today because of the holiday.

CNN: Another awful week for stocks. Thanks, Europe!

CNN - Shopping Violence

Tased at Walmart - tragic in an understandable, pathetic, and American way...

TRNN - Thanksgiving And Undocumented Farm Workers


More at The Real News

Democracy Now - Friday, November 25, 2011

Charlie Brown Thanksgiving And GOP Debate

OWS Thanksgiving

Have A Good Morning

Work by John Currin

The Onion - KFC Releases New Family-Size Nugget

The Onion: KFC Releases New Family-Size Nugget

Farmers

I would say that if you are looking for an issue to get behind and support it would be sustainable organic local farming. This would be a plus plus activity. You can't go wrong here.

Live Science: Future Farmers Hold Environment’s Fate in Their Hands

Al Jazeera - Portugal Braces For Strike Over Budget Cuts

Fascinating.

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

The Market On Black Friday

Good morning and welcome to Black Friday. This should be a national day to not buy anything. Instead people are trampling over each other and in some cases trampling to death, in order to get a good deal on a TV. TVs are oppressive too, its not like they are going after something that will truly make life decent. Enough proselytizing from me because on Thursday I ran the local 5K Turkey Trot. I did. I ran it in 25 minutes 13 seconds. Not bad for my first race in 30 years. All I saw ahead of me was a sea of young bodies with colored hair not gray hair. I may have found my next major interest, 5K races. I truly had a blast, it was pure fun from start to finish.

At 8:30 a.m. est DOW futures are moderately down, the dollar is up, and oil is down. Mix in a holiday shortened day and the volatile type of trading that occurs when trade volume is low because investors are resting in Acapulco and the world loses half a trillion in asset values in a 3.5 hour span.

Different day, same story except the story is getting uglier and darker. By now it should be clear that the E.U. is an economic mess. All I can say is this thing has not hit bottom yet, not by any means. The irony is that we have all been wondering if the US would sink into another technical recession and it started to appear that it would not just yet, and bam, now the rest of the world is possibly sinking into a global recession.

CNN: Stocks: Europe remains in focus
"...The market's going to continue to press the will of the EU leaders until they come up with a solid solution."


U.S. markets will close at 1 p.m. Friday due to the Thanksgiving holiday.


Oil for January delivery slipped $1.93 to $95.91 a barrel.

'Heart's All Gone'

Blink 182

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Good Night

Nikkei Opens Lower On Friday

Reuters: Nikkei holds near 2-1/2 year low, Olympus surges

'The Sea Is My Brother'

BBC: Kerouac's 'lost' book published

TRNN - Global Recession Looms As Euro Crisis Deepens


More at The Real News

Shades Of Bhopal


Guangzhou

AFP: Thousands evacuated after China chemical plant blast

'Gulliver's Travels'

1939 1:16:27 in length

Brinicle

Happy Thanksgiving

Enjoy the holiday!

Work by John Currin - 'Thanksgiving'

The Onion - Area Father Praised For Helping Raise Family

The Onion: Area Father Praised For Helping Raise Family

The Reality Of Global Warming


Live Science: What Are Climate Change Skeptics Still Skeptical About?

2011 Recap

Alter Net: 10 Great Things To Be Thankful For in 2011

Al Jazeera - Mexico Film Tackles Stark Reality Of Drug War

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

Ooopsy

Its either true or it might be stuff Bachmann made up or is less than accurate about.

Raw Story: Bachmann may have leaked classified information during GOP debate
...six of Pakistan’s nuclear sites had come under jihadist attack.

'The Man Who Sold The World'

Nirvana

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Good Night

'Aleksandr'

Aleksandr (english subtitle) from Aleksandr Team on Vimeo.

Egyptians Military Using Ultra Teargas

This stuff causes convulsions and seizures.

Guardian UK: Egyptian military using 'more dangerous' teargas on Tahrir Square protesters

DOW Closes Much Lower

The DOW closed at 11,257.55 dropping 236.17 points.

Reuters: Wall Street drops for sixth day on Europe, China

Rat Power

Reuters: Rats help Colombia sniff out deadly landmines

Strip Confessions

Fascinating article...

Alter Net: Why Do Men Visit Strip Clubs? Their Confessions Revealed

TRNN - 'When The World Outlawed War'


More at The Real News

Democracy Now - Wednesday, November 23, 2011

DOW Lower At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is down 172 points.

CNN: China manufacturing slows to 32-month low

Have A Good Morning

Magritte

The Onion - USDA Recalls 96,000 Pounds Of Tainted Beef From One Family


USDA Recalls 96,000 Pounds Of Tainted Beef From One Family

Recent Erratic Weather Patterns And Global Warming

Live Science: Climate Study Finds Mysterious Rise in Erratic Weather

Al Jazeera - South Africans Debate Controversial Secrecy Law

Very ugly law to clamp down on whistle blowers happening in South Africa. The implications are enormous and completely contrary to democracy.

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

The Market On Wednesday

Good morning and welcome to Thanksgiving Eve. Are you ready for one solid month of Christmas carols and sales on TV sets? Here's an idea - a store that sells jobs as a Christmas gift. The gift purchaser goes to the store and plunks down say $500. In return the gift receiver gets to work at some miserable job temporarily and then earns $400. The missing $100 is the store profit. Think about it, someone could create entire complexes that are "gift job centers" funded by relatives and friends who want to give the gift of work. You go there and could even be a pretend supervisor or a secretary yet get paid thanks to your loved one's generosity. Come to think of it, this is very similar to a state job...

At 8:30 a.m. est futures are significantly down, the dollar is up, and oil is down. That gasping sound you hear is the stock market getting ready to give up the ghost at today's opening bell.

Apparently people all over the world have enough crap manufactured in China to temporarily hold them off for a while. Consequently manufacturing in China is way down and investors are in a tizzy about this tragic turn of events. After all if China's economy fails, what's left?

Add to that the miserable unraveling financial crisis in Europe and we have an equity depleted Thanksgiving on tap.

CNN: Stocks look to follow world markets lower
Ongoing rises in bond yields in Italy and Spain have continued to shake investor confidence.


...a slump in manufacturing in China...

'Somewhere Over The Rainbow'

Keith Jarrett

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Robert Reich - 'The Real Public Nuisance'

Good Night

Nikkei Is Closed On Wednesday

This Wednesday is a holiday in Japan.

'Vésuves'

Vésuves from CRCR on Vimeo.

Slipped

At 3:40 the DOW is down 43 points. Looks like the super committee negligence is not reverberating in the markets more than yesterday. At least so far its not.

Reuters: Wall Street slips on euro zone, growth worries

The Daily Show - GOP Presidential Candidates - Rick Perry

TRNN - Will 50% Cuts "Hollow Out" the Military?


More at The Real News

Democracy Now - Tuesday, November 22, 2011

No Comment

OpEd News: Pregnant Occupy Seattle Protester Miscarries After Being Kicked, Pepper Sprayed

DOW Flat In The Noon Hour

At 1:10 p.m. est the DOW is down 19 points.

CNN: Stocks trim losses on IMF liquidity program

Mr Pepper Spray

New website - Pepper Spraying Cop

Have A Good Morning

'Compassion As A Pillar Of World Peace'

The Dalai Lama

btw the buzzing goes away after a minute or so.

The Onion - Facebook, Twitter Revolutionizing How Parents Stalk Their College-Aged Kids


Facebook, Twitter Revolutionizing How Parents Stalk Their College-Aged Kids

Keep It Clean

Live Science: 7 Tips for a Safe (and Non-Explosive) Turkey Day

Al Jazeera - Children Growing Up In Bolivian Jails

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

The Market On Tuesday

Good morning. It is 27 degrees and sunny here in Upstate NY. The chill is back. Put in an hour this morning walking the dog, not in the metaphorical music sense but in the real sense. There's a nice frost on the ground and most everyone has raked their yards, so we are seeing a minty shade of green everywhere. I get the sense that the pre-holiday anxiety is already there. Preparations for Thanksgiving are being made and have a Happy Thanksgiving is the requisite greeting or farewell.

At 8:20 futures are flat, the dollar is mixed, and oil is up.

The big news or at least the big news that I can ascertain is that ratings agencies have determined to keep all US ratings as is. This is inspite of, or possibly despite the failure of the "super committee' to reach any form of agreement on deficit reduction.

Think about it. All the failure in the super committee is because of the activity of one great American fool, Grover Norquist. Any Tea Party affiliate must sign the Norquist pledge. One wonders which realm in hell awaits this belligerent arrogant ass. That's about as fair and balanced as it gets.

Regardless, investors seem poised at the moment at least to keep the market steady as she goes.

CNN: Stocks: Investors take a breather
...ratings agencies reaffirmed their credit score on the United States, despite a debt panel's failure to reach a budget deficit deal.


The U.S. government will release its second estimate of third-quarter GDP growth on Tuesday.


Oil for January delivery gained $1.19 to $98.11 a barrel.

'Not Fade Away'

Florence + The Machine

Monday, November 21, 2011

Hometown Hero

The Mohawk Valley Independent: 81 Year Old Delmar Man Arrested at Occupy Albany Protest This Morning Reveals Another Face of the Occupy Movement

Good Night

Nikkei Opens Lower On Tuesday

Mini world crash in its initial stages?

Reuters: Nikkei falls to 8-month intraday low below 8,343

CNN - Gingrich Favors Easing Child Labor Laws

Wow, just plain wow.

'In Asia - Thailand'

In Asia - Episode 2 - THAILAND from Vincent Urban on Vimeo.

Pepper Spray Police Chief Suspended

AFP: US college suspends police chief in pepper spray row

DOW Closes Much Lower

The DOW closed at 11,547.31 dropping 248.85 points.

Please add as much sarcasm as you deem necessary to the following headline.

What a pantload...

CNN: 'Super committee' fails to reach agreement

'Punching The Clown'

trailer

Walk Of Shame

UC Davis Chancellor Linda "Pepper Spray" Katehi takes the walk of shame to her car. Needless to say, everyone is calling for her to be thrown out, although a resignation would be acceptable.

TRNN - Egypt: Deadly Pre-Election clashes In Tahrir Square


More at The Real News

Democracy Now - Seymour Hersh: Propaganda Used Ahead Of Iraq War Is Now Being Reused Over Iran’s Nuke Program

This is a particularly salient section of the full show posted below.

Democracy Now - Monday, November 21, 2011

DOW Significantly Lower At Noon

That thud you hear is the DOW dropping 308 points by the noon hour.

As if people thought the "super committee" would actually do or could actually do anything of any value to anyone except the ultra rich.

CNN: Have they gone nuts in Washington?

Have A Good Morning

Work by Karen Sargsyan

On Confidence

"To succeed in life, you need two things: ignorance and confidence." - Mark Twain


"We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face... we must do that which we think we cannot." - Eleanor Roosevelt


"Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love." - Lao Tzu


"Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy." - Dale Carnegie

The Onion - Area Ford Taurus Thinks It Could've Made It In NASCAR If It Had Started Earlier

The Onion: Area Ford Taurus Thinks It Could've Made It In NASCAR If It Had Started Earlier

Sexy Seniors

Live Science: Sexual Seniors Are Happiest, Survey Finds

Al Jazeera - UK Homes Hit By Rising Energy Costs

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

The Market On Monday

Good morning. It is 39 degrees and cloudy here in Upstate NY. We had a virtual heatwave on Sunday, I was out raking leaves in a t-shirt and so was everybody else. The new morning routine is all about out walking with the new puppy. I have to proudly report she is really learning how to enjoy a walk and how to behave on a leash. It takes time and patience to train a dog, but her enthusiasm is coming forward more and more each day. A neighbor brought over her older very mellow lab on Sunday so the new puppy could do some socializing. It seems to have worked. Part of training a dog is about building up the dog's confidence, and couldn't we all use a little bit of that too.

At 8:20 a.m. futures are significantly down, the dollar is up, and oil is down. The market is set to tank at the opening bell and that's the truth.

Apparently investors are appalled that the super committee cannot agree on any deficit reduction points. Seriously now, you would have to be living on an island isolated from everyone to think that mess would work out. The political polarization is beyond belief, nothing good can come from this. Lay the blame precisely on the arrogant little wooden heads of the Tea Party.

Then there's the growing Eurozone crisis which is destined to hit a bigger fan, and then an even bigger fan.

CNN: Stocks poised for 'sea of red'
The deadline for the 12-member super committee to agree on a debt reduction package of at least $1.2 trillion is Wednesday. But as early as Monday, the congressional debt committee is likely to admit failure.


Further turmoil is expected amid fears that the eurozone debt crisis has started spilling over to larger economies in Europe. Yields on Italian, Spanish and French government bonds have been rising...

'Chromatic Fantasy BWV 903'

Glenn Gould plays Bach.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Good Night

See you bright and early on Monday.

Do you think this was an attempt to up the ante in a feud between neighbors?

The 99% Versus The 1% Explained In 5 Minutes

Guardian UK:The 99% Versus The 1% Explained In 5 Minutes

Krugman and Co On Newt And Romney

Police Suspensions And Call For Chancelor To Resign At UC Davis Pepper Spray Gate

Curious reading the account of the police involved saying "the officers felt surrounded and threatened."

What a massive crock of shit.

That guy pepper sprayed dozens of people with the nonchalance of someone getting their morning newspaper out of the driveway after they just took a morning BM. He could have eaten a dozen coffee dunked donuts between each nozzle push.

CS Monitor: UC Davis pepper spray incident goes viral
...two officers had been put on administrative leave.


According to police and university officials, the officers (35 or so) felt surrounded and threatened...


"...Another colleague, Celeste Langan, a Wordsworth scholar, got dragged across the grass by her hair when she presented herself for arrest."

'The Descendants'

trailer - new George Clooney flick.

Credit Card Debt

CreditCards.com:Credit card statistics, industry facts, debt statistics
Total U.S. consumer debt: $2.43 trillion, as of May 2011
This averages out to every single person in the USA from 1 day old to 110 years old having credit card debt of $8100.00.

TRNN - Euro Crisis, Neo-Liberalism And Undoing The Welfare State


More at The Real News

Boehner Hit Job On OWS

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

OWS Updates

AlterNet: OWS Continues to Dominate the Zeitgeist: Outcry over Abuse of Students at UC Davis Grows, Right-Wing Plan to Smear Protests Exposed

Have A Good Morning

All Digital

Live Science: Digital Movies to Replace Film by 2015, Report Finds

Al Jazeera - UC Davis Launches Probe After Pepper-Spray Incident

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

Coming Up On Wall Street

Good morning. I hope you are having a restful pleasant weekend, we are trying to do that. The weather is still holding, a bit chillier but reasonable and dry. We have taken to bringing the new puppy out on some of the local hiking trails and she's learning the walking off the leash ropes. The poor girl is attracting ticks like a magnet. We've pulled about a dozen off her so far, the ticks are everywhere this season. Lyme disease has got to be rampant around here. Its nice seeing deer in your backyard but there's a price.

As usual and not unlike any other week, we could be in for an extremely volatile shortened week session on Wall Street.

Two major events are lining up that will cause either bullish or bearish reactions.

First we have the ongoing Eurozone debt crisis and how that will shape up this coming week. The German Bund is also under close scrutiny and if that bond shows fatigue or fissures that will have significant impact on the world economy as Germany is an economic leader.

Second, the super committee is supposed to have their debt cutting deal on the table by Wednesday night. Its not even worth commenting on this mess. Clearly the Tea Party wants to wipe out all social spending programs and as we know has lumped SSI in with welfare as if it were the same thing. Hopefully the obscenely radical right can implode under its own hubris.

In addition there will be light trading due to the shortened holiday Thanksgiving week. Whenever trading is light, volatility is increased.

If points one and two somehow align positively then a rally is almost a sure thing. However the odds of this happening seem low.

Reuters: A rally could happen in week ahead but some big "ifs"
Now, there could be a new worry in German Bunds.


Next week's economic data includes existing home sales for October on Monday and third-quarter preliminary GDP report on Tuesday. On Wednesday, durable goods orders, personal income and outlays and weekly jobless claims are due. The markets will be closed on Thursday for Thanksgiving.

'Bodhisattva'

Steely Dan

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Good Night

'The Cull'

The Cull - Short Film from Jonathan Harris on Vimeo.

MSNBC - Retired Police Captain Joins OWS

Standing ovation for Ray Lewis at jcsande.blogspot.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

'And Those We Left Behind'

Latest free Fringe episode.

TRNN - Debate On Austerity And The Eurozone


More at The Real News

Police Pepper Spray College Students At UC Davis

'Zenith' Bass

Nice little fretless electric bass from Epiphone. Its too pricey for me, but if I had money to burn I'd get it.

Have A Good Morning

Work by Jay Gard

The Onion - The Week In Review


Report: Some Sick Fuck Out There Now Supporting Herman Cain Because Of Sexual Assault Allegations

Get Ready

Live Science: Fierce Heat Waves & Stronger Storms Coming, Climate Report Warns

Al Jazeera - Gingrich Surges In US Republican Race

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

Lean Times In Albany

The Business Review: Albany International pulling jobs out of Albany

Brutality

Most police are reasonable and upstanding people, we know that because most of us know these people, personally. There are unfortunately a few who are just downright sadistic and hate the message from protestors.

AlterNet: Caught on Camera: 10 Shockingly Violent Police Assaults on Occupy Protesters

'Come Fly With Me'

Michael Buble

Friday, November 18, 2011

Good Night

'The Raid On Zuccotti Park'

the raid on zuccotti park from Casey Neistat on Vimeo.

DOW Closes Higher

The DOW closed at 11,796.16 gaining 25.43 points.

Read on - these guys don't even understand why people would protest. Fascinating.

Reuters: Insight: The Wall Street disconnect
"I don't say this lightly, but the consumer is simply an income stream and exploiting that is the purpose of the banking organization."


"At first I had friends who were scratching their heads at the (OWS) protests..."

The Daily Show - No Really, They Can't Decide