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Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Good Night

Women's Health Experts Speak Out

'Gadin Alpin'

Les cartons de Mr. Carton // Gadin alpin from Michael Bolufer on Vimeo.

Chomsky - Education For Whom And For What?

DOW Closes Lower

The DOW closed at 12,952.07 dropping 53.05 points.

Reuters: North Korea agrees to nuclear moratorium, IAEA inspections

Snowe Will Not Seek Re-Election

Yahoo: Olympia Snowe delivers rebuke in decision to leave Senate

Translation Please

The Daily Show - Tuesday February 28th

TRNN - The Eurozone Crisis And The USA


More at The Real News

DOW Lower At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 12,968.49 down 36.63 points.

CNN: Bernanke: Job market 'far from normal'

Have A Good Morning

work by Michel de Broin (made from discarded batteries)

The Onion - Woman Sets Record For Longest Amount Of Time Spent Talking About Oneself

The Onion: Woman Sets Record For Longest Amount Of Time Spent Talking About Oneself

Democracy Challenged

Live Science: People Aren't Smart Enough for Democracy to Flourish, Scientists Say

Parasites

AlterNet: Ayn Rand Worshippers Should Face Facts: Blue States Are the Providers, Red State Are the Parasites

Al Jazeera - Romney Scores Double US Primary Win

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

The Market On Wednesday

Good morning and welcome to Leap Day, February 29th. It is 30 degrees and hazy here in Upstate NY. We are expecting a snow storm to arrive later today something along the lines of 6 to 10 inches. Considering its been a snow-free winter, this is fine.

At 8:20 a.m. the DOW is modestly higher, the dollar is mostly down against major world currencies, and the price of oil is up. The market is poised to open a little higher.

Investors are very pleased to see that the European Central Bank will be making funds available to European Banks. This is thought to be an assist to the ongoing eurozone crisis.

One of the bigger pieces of data today will be a second reading of the fourth quarter GDP. In addition new words from Bernanke will be parsed and the indexes will respond in kind.

CNN: Stocks to open higher on Europe hopes
...the European Central Bank said that it well lend €529.5 billion, or $721.4 billion, to European banks, a move aimed at preventing a credit crunch.


...the government's second estimate of fourth-quarter GDP growth.


...a report on the global oil market...

'Devil Got My Woman'

Skip James

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

CNN - Dems Voting For Santorum To Hurt Romney

'Elevate'

trailer

Good Night

'Au Poil!'

Au Poil! English Subtitles from aupoil.lefilm on Vimeo.

Lobster Home

Happy to see the big guy go home.

Reuters: Maine's biggest lobster returned to Atlantic Ocean

The Unimaginable

The headline alone leaves me dizzy.

Certainly it's in the immediate running for peculiar story of the week and it's only Tuesday...

Raw Story: Gingrich: ‘Transvestite’ invited me to ‘exorcism of Jerry Falwell’

DOW Closes Higher

The DOW closed at 13,005 gaining 23 points.

First time the DOW closes above 13,000 since May 2008. Its been a long time coming, however it will go down, so its a double edged gain.

Reuters: Dow closes at highest since May 2008

The Daily Show - Monday February 27th

TRNN - Israel's 'New West Bank'


More at The Real News

DOW Higher At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 13,009.89 up 28.38 points.

CNN: Home prices are lowest since 2002

They'll Do It Their Way

The Atlantic Wire: Israel Probably Won't Tell the U.S. If It's Going to Attack Iran

France Out Front On Taxing The Rich

Global Post: French presidential candidate Francois Hollande vows 75% tax rate (on the wealthy)

Have A Good Morning

work by the Red Earth Environmental Art Group

The Onion - GOP Introduces New "Mystery Candidate" With Paper Bag Over Head

The Onion: GOP Introduces New "Mystery Candidate" With Paper Bag Over Head

That's Rich

Live Science: Rich People More Likely to Lie, Cheat, Study Suggests

The Santorum Theocracy

AlterNet: 9 Santorum Speeches That Make Me Want to Throw Up

Al Jazeera - Artists Use Graffiti To Tell Egypt Revolution's Stories

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

The Market On Tuesday

Good morning. It is 34 degrees, sunny, and windy here in Upstate NY. The sore throat has descended along with the heavy eyes and fatigue. It's been a while since I had a cold, I guess I'm overdue. The thing of it is, I really don't mind resting. Resting is a delicious thing in and of itself.

At 8:30 a.m. futures are moderately higher, the dollar is down against major world currencies, and the price of oil is slightly down.

The center of the investment universe, oil, is back in the headlines. The price per barrel has risen dramatically in the past week and today the price is easing slightly. Gas prices are one of the main ways we experience inflation as you know, and so the inflation alert is on serious standby. Speculators push oil prices higher, make a bundle of dough, allow the price to settle to a more normal $70 to $80 a barrel, and then start pushing the price up again. That's how its done. You can read about Iran fears, blah blah blah, its about making huge profits.

Otherwise there seems to be a general sense that the economy is on a better footing right now. No doubt a bump is in the near future but right now the DOW and S&P are bubbling.

CNN: Stocks to advance as oil prices pause
The rise in oil prices has translated into higher gas prices, with the national average rising 21 straight days.


...crude futures eased for a second straight day Tuesday...


...optimistic ahead of the European Central Bank's second so-called long-term refinancing operation...


...Case-Shiller releases its home price index at 9 a.m. ET.

'Nadine'

Chuck Berry

Monday, February 27, 2012

Good Night

'Going To Cappadocia (Turkey)'

Going To Cappadocia (Turkey) from Kyoto Studio on Vimeo.

Democrats For Santorum

DOW Closes Flat

The DOW closed at 12,981.51 down 1.44 points.

Reuters: Wall St closes at highest since mid-2008

CNN Poll Has Obama With A Double Digit Lead

I just checked Rasmussen, who is conservative, and he has Romney over Obama 45% to 43%.

So who do you believe?

CNN: Poll: Obama holds double digit leads over Romney and Santorum

Auto Sales Up

Yahoo: Detroit automakers race to keep up with sales

TRNN - Why Are GOP Candidates Competing To Be The Greatest Friend Of Israel?


More at The Real News

DOW Higher At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 13,001.00 up 18.05 points.

CNN: In Depth: Why the price of that tank of gas is going up, up, up

'The Artist'

trailer

Have A Good Morning

work by Arshile Gorky

The Onion - Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie Arrive On Oscar Red Carpet 12 Hours Early

The Onion: Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie Arrive On Oscar Red Carpet 12 Hours Early

Apologia

Live Science: Apologies: Do They Make It All Better?

2011 And Change

AlterNet: How Financial Crisis, Economic Inequality, Social Media, and More Brought Revolutions in 2011--and Changed Us Forever

Al Jazeera - 'Boy Genius' Is Top Of The Class

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

Morning

Feeling a bit under the weather today therefor I am going to do the unusual and skip the stock market stuff. I think bed rest is going to be on the agenda. See you later.

'Rythme Futur'

Rosenberg Trio

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Good Night

'This Is My Home'

This Is My Home from Mark on Vimeo.

Gibbs On Gingrich

He lets Gingrich have it, it is amusing.

"If there's a problem on the lunar colony, he'll be among the first we'll call."

And The Winner Is...

Santorum Secularism

Is it possible to dislike a candidate more than one dislikes Gingrich.

Apparently the answer is yes...

Raw Story: Santorum: JFK’s secularism ‘makes me throw up’

Have A Good Morning

work by Nils-Udo

The Onion - GOP Voters: 'Can We See What It Looks Like With Huntsman And Perry Again?

The Onion: GOP Voters: 'Can We See What It Looks Like With Huntsman And Perry Again?

Overeating And Disease

Live Science: Does Overeating Cause Memory Loss?

Unlikeable Yet Viable

AlterNet: Why No One Likes Mitt Romney

Your Weekly Address

Al Jazeera - US Concerns Grow Over Iran Nuke Plans

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

Coming Up On Wall Street

Good morning. It is a cold 20 degrees and sunny here in Upstate NY. We watched 'The Artist' last night and if you have not seen it, see it. Its truly an entertaining joy to watch. I don't want to give away a single stitch about the film but it is based on a very clever vision for a main stream movie.

So what's going on with Wall Street? Good question. The S&P is approaching a significant number, 1370. If it goes above 1370, the present rally could pick up a bit more steam. However there is resistance to crossing that threshold. All of the various elements that we know about are still in play such as the Eurozone debt crisis and especially Greece along with concerns about China's economic growth. In the US there's always the drive for continued consumer spending, the housing market in many areas is tragically bad and in other pockets its percolating. The job market is rousing very slowly yet the weekly first time unemployment numbers are improving.

Personally I think the market is in for a decent correction probably sooner than later. The indexes are in unusually high territory considering the tender state that the US and world economy is still operating in. Something has to give and I don't think we go into a period of amazing robust growth anytime soon.

Reuters: Rally on Wall St to be put to test
The S&P 500's close was the highest since June 6, 2008...

...created concerns that the market is due for a pullback...
And one economist Lakshman Achuthan, co-founder of the Economic Cycle Research Institute predicts a recession in the Summer of 2012.

Just imagine a strong recession comes through in the Summer just before the November elections and bam - Rick Santorum is the next President. You know its possible, right..

CNN: A new recession seems inevitable
Achuthan said data gathered since his September forecast only confirms his view that economic growth has slowed to such a degree that a downturn is now unavoidable, likely by late summer.

Speaking German In Texas

In Texas there is a town called New Braunfels, where there is a large German-speaking population.


One day, a local rancher driving down a country road noticed a man using his hand to drink water from the rancher's stock pond. The rancher rolled down the window and shouted: "Sehr angenehm! Trink das Wasser nicht. Die kuehe habendarein geschissen." Which means: "Glad to meet you! Don't drink the water. The cows have shit in it."


The man shouted back: "I'm from Indiana and just down here campaigning for Santorum. I can't understand you. Please speak in English."


The rancher replied: "Use both hands."

'Wave'

Rosenberg Trio

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Good Night

How often I forget how beautiful it is...

GOP Tax Plan In Kansas

Sounds about right - 21,000 who make over $250,000 a year will get a $1500 tax cut while 500,000 who make under $25,000 will pay an additional $72.

Let's do the math -

21,000 X $1500 = $31,500,000.

500,000 X $72 = $36,000,000.

Nicely done Kansas, including an itty bitty amount of more revenue for good measure...

Raw Story: Kansas may raise taxes on the poor to fund cuts for the rich

Determined Stupidity

Santorum has a point. If his loyalists got an education just image the amount of additional harm and damage they could do if they learned how to read and write...

Trashed

The image by Chris Jordan is of a decomposing bird found near a trash heap.

Facebook Post Or Jail

First I've read of Facebook being used as an alternative to jail time.

What would you pick - 60 days in jail, a hefty fine, or posting on Facebook?

Yahoo: Ohio man given choice of Facebook apology or jail

'A Better Human Being'

The latest free Fringe

The Onion - The Week In Review

The Onion: The Week In Review

Get It Straight

Live Science: How to Wear a Condom: Errors Common, Study Finds

'The American Way of Eating: Undercover At Walmart, Applebee's, Farm Fields And The Dinner Table'

New book on the food chain misery -

AlterNet: What Are We Really Eating? Reporter Goes Undercover to Reveal the Real Story of Our Broken Food System

Al Jazeera - Dadaab Refugee Crisis Still Dire

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

Morning

Just got in from a very long walk, it was to the bagel shop and back. Anything that helps to wear the dog out is good. The walk took about 1.5 hours. On the way back the temperature started to drop and all of a sudden we got a decent snow squall. A few minutes later and the sun is out. I must admit right about now I am overly ready for spring. Even though its been a very moderate winter, by the end of February I've had enough.

I was thinking about the politics of Santorum, it's the politics of exclusion. It boils down to his platform being about who and what he wants to exclude in America. Contraception is now to be excluded. Gays are excluded, of course. Women's health care is excluded. Where does this come from? What human frailty is responsible for the development of an entire political system that is predicated on the need to keep people out. When you put it that way it sounds like racism but its not exactly that is it. Its racism and more spread out over a panorama of people and ideas. I feel compelled to mention once again that the authoritarian personality needs to exclude people. From the authoritarian point of view this is a good thing just as hierarchy is a good thing and democracy is not. Democracy is as we know socialism, from the authoritarian perspective.

Given the present political landscape, at this juncture I believe Obama wins re-election. There's a ways to go and change is inevitable, but the GOP is out of gas right now and the majority of the electorate is not pleased with the politics of exclusion. Only a few extremists are happy with it and given the extremism found in FOX News, exclusion is being media dumped on the many like it or not. I do not like it, and in fact I am pretty sick of it as well. I'm tired of reading about Santorum's latest misery pronouncement.

'Makin Out'

Pomplamoose

Friday, February 24, 2012

Good Night

'Dr Grordbort Presents: The Deadliest Game'

Dr Grordbort Presents: The Deadliest Game from Media Design School on Vimeo.

Noam Chomsky - 'Crisis And Hope: Theirs And Ours'

Romney Hysteria Sweeping Nation

Raw Story: Romney stages campaign event in virtually empty Detroit stadium

DOW Closes Flat

The DOW closed at 12,982.95 dropping 1.74 points.

CNN: Stocks end mixed near 2008 highs

Huntsman - Rips The GOP, Time For A Third Party

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

The Daily Show - Three Men And A White-Haired Man-Baby

TRNN - Greeks Look To The Left For Solutions


More at The Real News

DOW Higher At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 13,010.04 up 25.35 points.

CNN: New home sales exceed expectations

Krugman On Romney's Economy

Turns out the governor revealed he is not an austerity driven slash and burner. Apparently he knows better.

NYT: Romney’s Economic Closet

Have A Good Morning

work by Chris Jordan - 'Shark Teeth'

The Onion - Female Friends Spend Raucous Night Validating The Living Shit Out Of Each Other

The Onion: Female Friends Spend Raucous Night Validating The Living Shit Out Of Each Other

Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum Mammal Shrinking

Sounds like an 'Onion' headline. Its a warning really, about what might happen as the temperatures rise.

Live Science: Ancient Warming Shrunk Horses to Housecat Size

Prosperity Through Impoverishment

How Germany is squeezing its workers while the top tier grow fabulously rich.

Sound familiar?

AlterNet: German Economic Striving at the Expense of Workers and Neighbors Will Backfire

Al Jazeera - Mona Lisa Doppelganger To Be Displayed

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

The Market On Friday

Good morning and welcome to the weekend. It is 32 degrees and we have light snow here in Upstate NY. A neighbor commented on the snow earlier, I paraphrase, "What is that white stuff falling out of the sky? Pollen?" The snow-less wonder Winter of '12 has made us forget that last year at this time we were up to our eyeballs in snow.

At 8:20 a.m. futures are up (pushing the possible DOW over 13K again), the dollar is mostly down against major world currencies, and the price of oil is higher going out of sight. Look for higher and higher gas prices if this nonsense continues. This is about greed, plain and simple. There's no fundamental reason why oil should be this high considering the quantities available and the stockpiles already out there.

Barely a mention of the eurozone crisis today as investors look for further signs that the US economy is improving. My favorite, consumer sentiment data comes through today along with data on housing. Long story short, its expected to be improving.

Let me recap. The DOW is about to go beyond 13,000. That is a very high number approaching the all time high hit a few years back, it went slightly over 14,000. All I can say is what gives. The economy is still a mess, everyone knows that, unemployment is way too high, houses have lost tremendous value, foreclosures continue, etc etc etc. In short it's all still a mess, yet the DOW is approaching record highs as if everything was percolating like crazy. Could it be that Wall Street has figured out that 20% of the population can be homeless and it doesn't affect their bottom-line especially if the top 1% own more and more of the total equity base.

CNN: Stocks: Eyes on the economy
Economic reports on tap for Friday include consumer sentiment and new-home sales, where investors hope for continued signs of momentum in the U.S. economy.


Oil for April delivery rose 52 cents to $108.35 a barrel.

'Donna Lee'

Bireli Lagrene

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Good Night

David Cross - An Existence Predicated Upon Manufactured Necessity

Who Is Next?

Disinterest in Santorum and Romney is leading to more chatter about a new "unknown" candidate entering the race.

Christie?

Guardian UK: Romney heads to Michigan as GOP figures lament dismal Arizona debate
The clamour for another candidate would begin to rise if Romney was to lose his home state Michigan to Santorum in Tuesday's primary.

Iraq Misery

BBC: Iraq attacks kill 55 as Shia and police targeted

DOW Closes Higher

The DOW closed at 12,984.69 gaining 46.02 points.

CNN: Stocks edge higher on economic data

Sharpening


It's on my night stand, ready to go.

Amazon: Reviews - Younger Brain, Sharper Mind

The Daily Show - President Evil

TRNN - On The Brink: Fiscal Austerity Threatens A Global Recession

More at The Real News

DOW Higher At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 12,987.75 up 49.08 points.

351,000 initial jobless claims over the last week -

Reuters: Jobless claims hold steady at 4-year low

Have A Good Morning

more work by jcsande.blogspot.com favorite Willy Verginer

The Onion - Obama: No Option Off The Table Except Snatching Iran's Leaders With Hook Lowered From Plane And Flying Them To Washington

The Onion: Obama: No Option Off The Table Except Snatching Iran's Leaders With Hook Lowered From Plane And Flying Them To Washington

Incarcerated Society

2.4 percent of all Americans are ex-prisoners. That would be roughly 1 in every 33 did time.

I would suspect at this point that prison is a viable desirable option for many people including young people, more of an intentional choice than the result of criminal activity.

Live Science: Massive Rise in Prison Population May Have Serious Consequences

Steel Trap

Another article which attempts to tackle the endlessly stuck into perpetuity authoritarian mind.

Lots of freakin' luck with that, although it is always worth reminding ourselves that the political "enemy" will remain, stay, be implanted, embedded, stuck. Nothing is going to change about that no matter how hard we pretend it can or will or that some amazing lightning strike will do the job.

AlterNet: The Republican Brain: Why Even Educated Conservatives Deny Science -- and Reality
A kind of “authoritarian activation” needs to occur, and it happens through the development of political “expertise.” Consuming a lot of political information seems to help authoritarians feel who they are—whereupon they become more accepting of inequality, more dogmatically traditionalist, and more resistant to change.

Al Jazeera - Santorum Hot On Romney's Heels

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

The Market On Thursday

Good morning. It is 37 degrees and overcast here in Upstate NY. Just reading the headlines is about as close as I get to the GOP debate. These people are booing contraception. Which century is it anyhow? The authoritarian mind is a unique entity. No one makes people use contraception, no one makes people become gay and then get 'gay' married, and if you don't want to have an abortion you don't have to get one. But what the authoritarian wants everyone must have. Try explaining that little blip to an authoritarian, the light bulb stays off doesn't even rise to fizzle dim.

At 8:15 a.m. futures are slightly higher, the dollar is down against all world currencies, and the price of oil is up, its skyrocketing. Inflation is creeping in.

Investors are very pleased to see that huge world economic mover Germany is reporting better than expected economic growth in the last month. This is a big deal. The eurozone can fall to pieces and it looks like it is and will continue to fall to pieces, but if Germany can maintain, a lot of power goes with that. Its simply because Germany is a top 5 world economy. It's a case of bigger is better, much better in fact.

CNN: Economic optimism to boost stocks
...investors were encouraged after a reading on Germany's business conditions rose for a fourth straight month in February -- the highest level since July...


...the European Commission forecasts that the eurozone will likely face a mild recession in 2012, thanks to negative growth in Greece, Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands, Cyprus, Slovenia and Belgium.


Oil for April delivery rose 16 cents to $106.44 a barrel.

'Bust Your Knee Caps'

Pomplamoose

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Good Night

'Snow Circles'

Snow Circles from Beauregard, Steamboat Aerials on Vimeo.

Backing Down In Virginia

Guardian UK: Virginia governor Bob McDonnell in U-turn over controversial abortion bill

DOW Closes Lower

The DOW closed at 12,938.67 dropping 27.02 points.

CNN: Obama: Slash corporate tax breaks and rates

Former Republican Sen. Alan Simpson On Santorum And Romney

'Wavedrum'

Interesting looking instrument.

The Daily Show - Virginia's Transvaginal Ultrasound Bill

TRNN - The Rise Of Santorum


More at The Real News

DOW Lower At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 12,918.05 down 47.64 points and the temperature in Upstate NY is 48 degrees with sunshine.

CNN: Home prices at lowest point in more than 10 years

Have A Good Morning

work by Ward Shelley

The Onion - NewsBlitz: Senate Session Interrupted By Wailing Of Ted Kennedy's Ghost

The Onion: NewsBlitz: Senate Session Interrupted By Wailing Of Ted Kennedy's Ghost

Snowy Hawaii

Live Science: Where Is It Snowing This Winter? Hawaii

Dark Age Extremist

I will say it again. Divide America into two separate and discreet countries: America and Red America.

Red America can be for the fundies, neocons, and all other authoritarians of all stripes and sizes. It can be set up as a non democratic hierarchical society with male dominance, female submission, no abortion, no gays, no art, no music, no questions, no colleges, no intelligence, unlimited fear, and lots and lots of war. Happiness will abound...

AlterNet: Agenda for the Dark Ages: GOP Frontrunner Rick Santorum's 5 Most Extremist Themes
...the essence of the Republican Party has distilled into a toxic brew of resentment, prejudice, anti-intellectualism and misogyny.

Al Jazeera - Strauss-Kahn In Probe Over Prostitution Ring

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

The Market On Wednesday

Good morning. It is 40 degrees and sunny here in Upstate NY. We are expecting the temperature to go into the 50s later on. The amazingly mild Winter of 2012 continues on its mild course. Out walking the dog earlier I couldn't help but notice the sound of the Spring birds. Its the sound of Spring. Hey, a cold snap could still happen.

At 8:20 a.m. futures are flat, the dollar is mostly up against world currencies, and the price of oil is down. The market is poised to open flat to down this morning.

Its the same story. In spite of a loan to Greece to pay off a March bond deadline, Greece is on major shaky ground. It just got downgraded two notched to just slightly better than junk status. Been there, done that...

That country's default seems like a sure and inevitable thing. Could it be that in the investment world its better to default later rather than sooner? Or it could be about buying time in the hope that something will come along to ameliorate the problem. Who knows. Get braced, Greece is going down further.

CNN: Investors sidelined by Greece worries
...analysts caution that Greece will eventually need more support for its long-term debt.


Greece's fate also depends on whether private sector investors agree to debt reduction agreement terms, which include a write down of 53% on the face value of Greek government bonds -- steeper than the previous 50% reduction agreed to in October.


...the National Association of Realtors releases existing-home sales for January...

'Karmapa Black Hat Dance'

Kaygu Lamas and Monks

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Brian Cox - Everything Is Connected To Everything

Good Night

'Visualtraveling - Holy Cow'

Visualtraveling - 'Holy Cow' from Patrik Wallner on Vimeo.

Santorum Gains

CNN: CNN/Time Poll: All tied up in Arizona

DOW Closes Higher

The DOW closed at 12,965.69 gaining 15.82 points.

CNN: Greece gets a reprieve, but crisis not over

'Joan'

Louie season 2 episode 4

The Daily Show - The Punanny State

TRNN - Why Didn't Obama Deliver?


More at The Real News

DOW Higher At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 12,995.81 up 45.94 points.

Looks like the DOW crossed 13K at some point. Scary stuff, like dipping your toe into ice cold lake water...

CNN: Dow crosses 13,000

32%

No surprise here as 32% of our nation views Iran as the major threat to the USA.

That would be roughly the same number of GOP/conservatives/Tea Partyers AKA FOX News watchers that live in the country.

Unfortunately the sentiment will not be appeased until this inevitable war starts. Right now Iran truly is the number one problem, not necessarily because it represents an "existential" threat but because government policy is erring on the side of the neocons. A new GOP president in the Fall would seal the war deal as Romney, Santorum, and Gingrich all have neocon advisers.

Gallop: Americans Still Rate Iran Top U.S. Enemy

Have A Good Morning

work by Chris Jordan

The Onion - Disturbed Beltway Sources Report Congress Eerily Cooperative Today

The Onion: Disturbed Beltway Sources Report Congress Eerily Cooperative Today

Dog Love

Love Science: Men, Take Note: Love Her, Love Her Dog

Birth Control

AlterNet: Why Right-Wingers' Hatred of Modern Women Is Going to Cost Them the Birth Control Battle (and a Whole Lot of Votes)

Al Jazeera - Melting Danube Worsens Serbia's Weather Woes

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

The Market On Tuesday

Good morning. It is 24 degrees and mostly sunny here in Upstate NY. There's just no denying the return of light, its great. We see some light out there now around 6:15 a.m., we always get that 20 to 30 minutes of bonus light prior to sunrise and after sunset. In a sense the equinox is a misnomer from the point of view of actual light. The new dog had a great morning playing with her new good buddy two streets over. Its fun watching the dogs play, they bite each other with such abandon, its non stop frolicking. Its also good to see the dog huffing and puffing and with the tongue hanging from fatigue.

At 8:20 a.m. futures are moderately higher, the dollar is neutral to slightly higher against major world currencies, and the price of oil is higher, weighing in just over $104 per barrel. Inflation here we come...

Investors are no doubt pleased to see that Greece has made a deal to acquire funds so as not to default on its big March bond payment. We also get the sense that its borrowing from Peter to pay Paul. The financial noose is getting tighter, we shall see how long Greece can exist on a respirator. Greece is now a major experiment for the greedy forces of privatization, the ordinary people can be damned in the face of it.

No doubt we are at another financial crossroads. What happens next? Does the DOW traverse the 13K region and explore little known or seen territory or is another correction just around the corner...

CNN: Stocks consider Greece deal
...eurozone finance ministers completed a deal early Tuesday that will provide Greece with the €130 billion in funding it needs to avoid default next month.


...Greece needs to make severe budget cuts that reduce its debt to a figure 121% of its gross domestic product by 2020. Currently, debt is 160% of GDP.


Home Depot reported fiscal fourth-quarter earnings and revenue that topped analysts' expectations.

'Cakewalk'

Oscar Peterson and Joe Pass

Monday, February 20, 2012

Good Night

'The Wild Heart - A Journey Through The Southwest Wilderness'

The Wild Heart - A Journey through the Southwest Wilderness from Henry Jun Wah Lee on Vimeo.

Tightening The War Noose

Guardian UK: Iran threatens to extend oil embargo

Here's what Nouriel Roubini thinks of a war with Iran -

Mail Online: 'Dr Doom' - economist who predicted financial meltdown of 2008 - now warns Iran conflict 'could spiral economy into global recession'

The Gingrich Administration

AJC: Gingrich wants Bolton as his secretary of state

Single Phosphorus Atom

mnn.com: Single-atom transistor busts the records

TRNN - US General: 'Iran A Rational Actor', But Is US One?


More at The Real News

Have A Good Morning

work by Agnes Denes

The Onion - You'll Never Love Our Amazing Deals On Household Appliances Unless You First Love Yourself

The Onion: You'll Never Love Our Amazing Deals On Household Appliances Unless You First Love Yourself

The Bilayer Pseudospintronic Field-Effect Transistor

Live Science: Fast and Ultra-Thin: Graphene Nanotransistors

Presidential Quirks

AlterNet: Which President Grew Pot? 9 Shocking Things You Might Not Know About U.S. Presidents

Al Jazeera - Robbers Fleece Greece's Olympia Museum

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

Morning

It is 24 degrees and sunny here in Upstate NY. Its a holiday, the streets are less filled with cars, I always like that.

The dog cut herself just below her nose this morning. She dove after a broken bottle. Face cuts will bleed a lot, even on dogs. It is starting to congeal now. We have her in her crate to keep the blood off of the rest of the house and to keep her quiet.

As you know the stock market is closed today. Its great to have a break from that enormous entity. We expect to see lots of hand wringing over the Eurozone debt crisis. The highest mark the DOW has ever achieved is 14,164.53 on October 9, 2007. We are presently at 12,949, and they keep saying that the economy is just beginning to come around...

'Not Fade Away'

The Byrds

Sunday, February 19, 2012

The ABC Lin-Terview

I love this story, its a basketball junky's dream come true story.

Good Night

'Hanksville'

HANKSVILLE from lab35 FILMS on Vimeo.

Santorum Leading Romney In Michigan

Guardian UK: Mitt Romney faces defeat in his family's home state of Michigan

Iran's Oil

The mechanism for a war continues to grind forward.

CNN: Iran suspends oil exports to Britain and France

SNL

'The Increasingly Poor Decisions Of Todd Margaret'

trailer

Maddow - Republicans Splitting On Social Issues

From 2-17

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

Have A Good Morning

work by Andy Goldsworthy

The Onion - Person Who Will One Day Become Warlord-Ruler Of What Was Once Nebraska Born In Omaha Hospital

The Onion: Person Who Will One Day Become Warlord-Ruler Of What Was Once Nebraska Born In Omaha Hospital

Regressing On Climate Change Education

I'm not entirely sure if the hard right's need to bury climate change "awareness" by creating doubt inspired classroom curricula makes one iota of difference. The climate change damage is done and nothing is occurring to hold it back or improve it.

Live Science: Classrooms Become Next Battleground for Climate Change Skeptics
Recently leaked documents from conservative think tank The Heartland Institute reveal plans to pay a non-climate scientist to create school curricula designed to foster doubt about the scientific evidence surrounding climate change.

13th Centruy Brilliance

I've said this before several times on this blog and I feel compelled to say it again. I favor a division of the United States into Red America and America, two discreet independent countries. Allow the Christian fundamentalists and hard right people to go their own merry way and leave the rest of us alone.

AlterNet: States Where Right-Wingers Are Promoting Shocking Measures to Keep Women Barefoot and Pregnant
1. Kansas considers letting doctors lie to patients seeking abortions.


3. Oklahoma moves toward making an embryo a legal person.

Al Jazeera - Cameron In Plea To Scots To Remain In UK

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

Micro Thin Snow Morning

Good morning. It is 27 degrees and bright out, here in Upstate NY. Today in Albany NY the Sun rose at 6:47 a.m. and will set at 5:31 p.m. We are getting almost 3 minutes of daylight more each day as the Spring Equinox approaches. I've had enough of the moderate Winter.

There's a light patina of snow on everything this morning. The deer tribe already passed through the yard and we saw two medium sized and gangly fawns from the family of six. A neighbor already reported a deer tick on her dog, so the alarms are on standby.

The big event for me today will be watching the Knicks play the Mavericks at 1:00, toss in rehearsal for an upcoming music performance, a few walks with the dog, a little house work, and there it is.

'32 Flavors'

Ani DiFranco

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Misery

CNN: Nepalese woman accused of witchcraft and burned alive

Good Night

'For The Remainder'

For The Remainder from Omer Ben David on Vimeo.

Squirrels And Santorum

We were out walking the dog through the neighborhood and I couldn't help but notice that the local squirrel population is really taking a beating. Lots of squirrels and chipmunks are squashed to bits from getting caught under vehicle tires. Its an ongoing little tragic reminder as you're walking. How about a squirrel graveyard area somewhere in town? As you know the squirrel body remains and decomposes on the road or by the side of the road. Still, somehow my dog finds these bodies and all of a sudden I'm walking along and the dog has a dead squirrel in its mouth, all happy and proud. A small battle ensues trying to convince the dog to "drop it." I've taken several remains to a remote spot myself because I had enough of the latter reoccurring.

We had a guest over earlier. We started to talk politics and the guest tells me the humorous anecdote that is going around about Santorum. You probably already heard this one but they say he has a brilliant mind especially brilliant for the 13th Century. How true is that? Maher has a funny line, he says that Santorum believes life begins at erection. It worries me that someone like Santorum can rise as high as he presently is rising. The election system is so messed up in this country, let's do away with the present system and simply go with the candidate that gets the most votes wins. Enough of these state by state Karl Rove strategies designed to piece together enough backwards minds to elect an especially regressive conservative.

Michael Albert On Parecon

parecon = participatory economics

ZNET: Summarizing Parecon

Bill Maher - New Rules

The Daily Show - V-Jay Jay Day - Samantha Bee's Apology

CBS - Santorum, Romney

'Welcome To Westfield'

The latest free Fringe

Have A Good Morning

The Onion - New Sitcom To Feature Blocking Tight End Living With Pass-Catching Tight End

The Onion: New Sitcom To Feature Blocking Tight End Living With Pass-Catching Tight End

Lin Proof

Live Science: Jeremy Lin's Stats Prove He Isn't a Fluke

Compassion Free Politics

AlterNet: A Conservative Explains Why Right-Wingers Have No Compassion

Al Jazeera - Obama Birth Control Plan Angers Church

The Republicans are being absolutely ridiculous, once again.

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

Morning

Good morning. It is 27 degrees with scattered clouds here in Upstate NY. The moderate winter continues and yesterday we had a significant taste of spring as well. Its nice to drop the many layers of clothing for a few days. We were at the local grocery store and one teenager was out and about in t-shirt, no jacket, no sweater, just t-shirt and jeans. Its inspiring.

It will be another working weekend as I am back at this old house. The remodeling project is back and in gear. I'm tired of looking at blue tarps and construction debris in the living room. Its time to move it back towards habitable condition.

Last night I had the wild salmon with ginger sauce at a Chinese restaurant. All I can say is if you want some amazingly interesting dreams, try it. It was truly delicious but I had some of those very complex deep dreams that you wake from and are clueless about any significant meaning or connection to your real life yet you know that something powerful is percolating.

Lately I am working with the idea of letting it go. We reach a point where the noise from past friction with other people, past failings, past negativity and such is just plain boring and unneeded. Let it go. Evict it from the head space and no matter how adamantly it keeps knocking on the door, do not let it back in. Easier said than done, right. Still, figure it out.

Uplifting Panel

'Nuages'

Joe Pass

Friday, February 17, 2012

Good Night

'Two Laps'

Two Laps from Passion Pictures on Vimeo.

Gas Misery

Reuters: Gasoline pushes inflation up in January

Bill Moyers Essay: Freedom Of And From Religion

Bill Moyers Essay: Freedom of and From Religion from BillMoyers.com on Vimeo.

DOW Closes Higher

The DOW closed at 12,949.87 gaining 45.79 points.

From CNN - Dow closes at highest level since May 2008.

Pat Dropped

Bet.com: Pat Buchanan Dropped as MSNBC Commentator, Criticized for Racist Views

The Daily Show - Arne Duncan Extended Interview Pt. 1

TRNN - Congress Pushes Iran Regime Change Over Diplomacy


More at The Real News

DOW Higher At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 12,929.32 up 25.24 points.

Looks like the Tea Party Congress is up to more mischief by linking payroll tax cut extensions along with a reduction in unemployment benefits. I mean after all if you are laid off or are unemployed its really only your own fault right. This is exactly how they think. We wouldn't want our lords and masters sitting in perfect puffy Italian leather loungers in 75,000 square foot mini-mansions to fret one little perfectly botoxed brow over a little threat to their billions.

CNN: Congress restructures unemployment benefits

Have A Good Morning

work by Chris Jordan

The Onion - Knicks Trade Jeremy Lin For Selfish Asshole Who Plays Knicks-Style Basketball


Knicks Trade Jeremy Lin For Selfish Asshole Who Plays Knicks-Style Basketball

Extreme January

Live Science: January Brought Warmth and Extremes to the Globe

Left Lean

AlterNet: Why Right-Wingers (and Media Hacks) Are Totally Wrong About What Americans Believe -- We're Becoming Less, Not More, Conservative

Al Jazeera - US City Moves To Combat Obesity Epidemic