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Friday, August 31, 2012

Infantilize - Treat (Someone) As A Child Or In A Way That Denies Their Maturity

The conservative take on Mitt's speech -

The American Conservative: An Infantilizing Speech

Good Night


Soledad O'Brien Corrects O'Donnell

Listen carefully, she doesn't know a thing and is simply spouting nonsense.

I am in the odd position of defending Obama for being the corporatist that he is. The willful ignorance of O'Donnell is bizarre.

Why does someone like O'Donnell actually get on TV.

DOW Closes Higher

The DOW closed at 13,090.84 gaining 90.13 points.

CNN: Stocks end August with Bernanke-inspired bounce

Eastwooding


Allow me to remind that subtlety and high comedy have never been expressed in their highest color values within the GOTP. The irony is that even though many within the power echelons of the GOTP are extraordinarily wealthy, the overall sense of humor within that structure is quite truncated and clumsy, it's Punch and Judy ad nauseam. In that context, Eastwood's antics are GOTPerfect.

Coulter At The RNC On Unemployed Youth And Voting

Coulter is interesting in that she articulates the pulse of the GOTP. Listen carefully.

The Daily Show - RNC 2012 - The Road to Jeb Bush 2016 - Mitt Romney: A Human Being Who Built That

TRNN - The GOP Goes Hard Right


More at The Real News

DOW Higher At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 13,124.00 up 123.29 points.

Bernanke delivers to Wall St.

CNN: Bernanke paves the way for more stimulus

Have A Good Morning

Photo by Annie Lebovitz of Rachel Rosenthal




The Onion - Best They Could Get Accepts Republican Nomination

The Onion: Best They Could Get Accepts Republican Nomination

Al Jazeera - Signs Of Global Warming In The Arctic

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

Live Science - Inside The Eye Of Isaac

Have A Koch

Surrounding power, there are two strains of thought in America. Strain one says that those with the best ideas, the best innovations, the best intentions, and the best concern for the people deserve to hold power. Strain two is much more direct, the guy with the most money rules or in this case - guys.

AlterNet: Koch Party Time: Billionaire Brothers Show Off the Republican Politicians They Bought

The Market On Friday

Good morning and welcome to the extended weekend. It is 58 degrees and sunny here in Upstate NY. Right now I would say it is gorgeous out with even a tiny hint of some trees wanting to turn to fall foliage colors. Once again I did not go near the GOTP convention preferring to watch paint on the walls age. I am aware of Clint Eastwood's speech and can't help but wonder what is up with Clint. Regardless, I still say Romney wins. The telltale signs of a winner are there at least from the point of view of how the GOTP gets into power. Romney is slightly behind in the polls and that is an easily surmountable hurdle for the GOTP well practiced in the art of voter suppression especially in swing states like Ohio and Florida. Expect to hear the tiniest outrage as swing states end up in Romney's electoral college number and naturally the MSM will play right along because once a new king is crowned decorum dictates that we all abide. Also Romney is outspending Obama, his cadre of billionaire backers is wider and they have deeper pockets, think Citizens United. Simple fact, the winner is the guy with the most money. That strain in America goes back to its inception, think Harvard which would select the top graduating student based on his family's wealth status.

At 8:20 a.m. futures are moderately higher, the dollar is down against major world currencies, and the price of oil is up per barrel. The market is poised to open higher except...

At 10 a.m. Bernanke speaks about Fed plans for how to stimulate or not stimulate the American economy. Curious choice of words - stimulate - would you agree? If the man speaks and the words are parsed into the shucks zone, one would suspect that the indexes will drop. It's a wait and see situation but it would appear that in the pre-market mode of thinking, Bernanke is expected to kill it.

CNN: Stocks: All eyes on Bernanke
Bernanke will deliver his highly anticipated speech on the economy in Jackson Hole, Wyo. at 10 a.m. ET.

Euro area unemployment for July was unchanged from June, holding at a record-breaking 11.3%...

'Charade'

Henry Mancini

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Good Night

The next president -


Bachmann - A Match Made In Heaven

Try your best to get through it, yeow...

The Blessed Lie

Authoritarian point one - it is permissible and desirable to lie to the dirty masses AKA you and me, if that lie will gain you political power. You see an entity like the Paul Ryan express which clearly is in the "know" with its righteous indignation contains within its core the essential belief that it alone has access to the "truth." Therefor lying is necessary, especially if that lie will gain you power. After all if you are in the know then ultimately your power reign will be so valuable as to negate something with such little relevance as a lie. So lie and lie continuously Paul, we expect nothing better...

CBS News: They love the lies Paul Ryan tells

ABC News: Obama Campaign Shreds ‘Lies’ in Ryan Speech

DOW Closes Lower

The DOW closed at 13,000.71 dropping 106.77 points.

CNN: Shell gets OK for Arctic drilling prep

The Three Difficulties

Buddhist teaching -
"May I practice the three difficulties. May I see what I do. When it happens, may I do something different, and may that be a way of life for me."

Krugman Blasts Ryan

The Daily Show - RNC 2012 - The Road To Jeb Bush 2016 - We Built It

TRNN - Romney And The European Authoritarian Right


More at The Real News

374,000

CNN: Jobless claims hold steady

DOW Lower At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 13,015.07 down 92.41 points.

CNN: Stocks pressured by global slowdown worries

Have A Good Morning

work by Susan Shanti Gibian


The Onion - Gay Marine Beaten To Bloody Pulp To Fire Up RNC Crowd

The Onion: Gay Marine Beaten To Bloody Pulp To Fire Up RNC Crowd

Al Jazeera - Tracking The Effects Of Climate Change

Al Jazeera - Isaac Brings Heavy Rains To US Gulf Coast

Methane Hydrate

Methane is a far more scary greenhouse gas than CO2.

Live Science: Billions of Tons of Methane Lurk Beneath Antarctic Ice

A Pile

AlterNet: Paul Ryan Obscures His Koch-Backed Agenda With a Pack of Lies in Convention Speech - Koch mouthpiece Paul Ryan accepts the nomination for VP and speaks to GOP party faithful at the convention.

The Market On Thursday

Good morning. It is 52 degrees and sunny here in Upstate NY. I was wearing the old Land's End jacket and jeans this morning for the walk, it was chilly. Summer will make another hot return at some point, it always happens that way. I understand there is some kind of convention going on and I am not paying attention to it in the least. The only thought that occurs to me is that outside of Washington DC this thing represents the biggest convocation of nonsense, destructive activity, and power out there. Think about it, out of the GOTP convention someone will emerge who eliminates all entitlement spending, destroys SSI and Medicare and in so doing will blatantly lie to the American people about the reasons why, someone will emerge from this mash-up that will increase military spending as if it were actually necessary, start a war with Iran, and drive the country into the deepest Depression ever. Oh yea, it's a real love fest. I'd rather watch grass grow.

At 8:10 a.m. futures are slightly lower, the dollar is down against major world currencies, and the price of oil is down per barrel. The market is poised to open lower.

Investors are still on vacation so trading activity is lower. The most salient news still involves Bernanke and Co's Friday meeting wrap up and how the decision to boost the old "failing" economy will occur. Otherwise at 8:30 a.m. we will see numbers on first time weekly layoffs and that always seems to prime the indexes a bit. If I'm guessing I'm thinking the number is 370,000 give or take 5,000.

CNN: Stocks head for a weak open
...investors are more confident that the European Central Bank will stage a major intervention in the bond market.

...India is due to release its second-quarter GDP data...

...Bureau of Economic Analysis will release data on personal income and spending for July.

'Words'

Missing Persons

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Good Night


Sending Thanks To Swedish Researchers

Guardian UK: Chocolate reduces risk of strokes for men, research claims

Democracy Now - GOTP Convention, Ann Romney

This is a very select segment of Democracy Now's full show.

Obama 46.8%, Romney 45.7%

Real Clear Politics: General Election: Romney vs. Obama

DOW Closes Higher

The DOW closed at 13,115.23 gaining 12.24 points.

CNN: Banks labeled 'slumlords' over foreclosure neglect

Gabriela Mercer GOTP Arizona Congressional Candidate - Immigration Beliefs

I think the correct phrase is - "Uncle Tom."

Rape Victims Speak Out To Romney And Ryan

This is not an easy clip to hear. It's heartbreaking.

Bernie Sanders On The GOP Plans Under Romney/Ryan

Common Dreams: Deficit Hawk Hypocrites

The Daily Show - RNC 2012 - The Road To Jeb Bush 2016

TRNN - What Now For Ron Paul Libertarians?


More at The Real News

DOW Flat At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 13,107.16 up 4.17 points.

CNN: 'I'm trapped in a high-rate mortgage'

Welcome

The Hollywood Reporter: 2012 Republican Convention: Protesters Dressed as Vaginas Greet Delegates


Have A Good Morning

work by Nils Udo


The Onion - BREAKING: Entire Republican National Convention Stunned As Ann Romney Asks For Divorce

The Onion: BREAKING: Entire Republican National Convention Stunned As Ann Romney Asks For Divorce

Al Jazeera - Arctic Way Of Living 'Under Threat'

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome

Live Science: More Infants Born Addicted to Prescription Drugs

Propaganda Watch

AlterNet: The 8 Worst Examples of Fox News Election Journalism Malpractice (In Just 8 Weeks) - Fox spinners disseminate brazenly dishonest propaganda without shame or fear of reprisal.

The Market On Wednesday

Good morning. It is 56 degrees and clear here in Upstate NY. The long holiday weekend is almost within reach. I am lightly paying attention to the RNC, as you know I still believe Romney wins mostly because of the fact that someone like GW Bush won - twice. When I saw how utterly empty of any substances whatsoever that would benefit the American people within GW, I was certain he didn't have a chance. We are clearly in a similar situation, even McCain was better than Romney. What is Romney? He's the same type of empty suit Republican where you paste your to be dashed hopes and dreams. And fundamentally he's a vulture capitalist, the type of capitalist that makes brilliant inventions like market systems work to exploit the disadvantaged. Job creator indeed, the real term is job displacer as in sending the jobs overseas or cutting them out completely. Make no mistake here, the GOTP likes high unemployment, have you noticed how no action whatsoever on jobs has been undertaken by our Tea Party Congress. If you're paying attention, you've read the GOTP platform that was approved yesterday, and you also know that 1112 here we come. The thing is a medieval nightmare, carefully crafted by X-tian fundamentalists, and one or two trillionaires. Truth is I'd rather watch water evaporate than the RNC.

At 7:15 a.m. futures are slightly down, the dollar is mostly up against major world currencies, and the price of oil is not stated on CNN but I would guess it's slightly higher given that Isaac in creating demand. The market is poised to open slightly lower.

Investors are still on low volume trading easy time. The housing market offered some surprisingly good news on Tuesday, more housing data is due out today.

All in all the big note for the week comes on Friday, with Bernanke and Co probably indicating that there will be more QE in the US economic future.

CNN: Stocks to open little changed
...waiting to see if the European Central Bank...will intervene after the Spanish government released data Tuesday that showed the nation's economic recession deepening...

... in focus are oil prices, which hovered near $96 a barrel Wednesday, as Hurricane Isaac curtailed oil production along the Gulf of Mexico.

At 10 a.m. ET, the National Association of Realtors will release data on pending home sales for July...

'O Sole Mio'

Enrico Caruso

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

'Tea Peter'

The Family Guy - Peter joins the Tea Party, the local government is disbanded, and chaos ensues.

Good Night


Christie - Catering

GOTP Platform Approved

Don't forget, we are not going back to a moderate GOTP, the genie is out of the bottle with Reagan and from here on out the agenda gets more and more fundamentalist.

Hey, whenever you want to have that two state solution talk...

Seattle Pi: GOP OKs platform barring abortions, gay marriage
Republicans emphatically approved a toughly worded party platform at their national convention Tuesday that would ban all abortions and gay marriages, reshape Medicare into a voucher-like program and reject federal spending as an antidote for the nation's ailing job market.

DOW Closes Lower

The DOW closed at 13,102.99 dropping 21.68 points.

CNN: Rules to double U.S. fuel economy to 54.5 mpg by 2024

'Legitimate Rape'

The Renegade Raging Grannies

Nicotinamide

BBC: Vitamin B3 'helps kill superbugs'

Maddow - GOP Challenging Black Voters

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

TRNN - Wilkerson On GOP Convention


More at The Real News

DOW Higher At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 13,134.93 up 10.26 points.

And some long awaited news on in the housing sector -

CNN: Home prices signal recovery may be here
The S&P/Case-Shiller national home price index, which covers more than 80% of the housing market in the United States, climbed 6.9% in the three months ended June 30 compared to the first three months of 2012.

Bill Nye: Creationism Is Not Appropriate For Children

The GOP: When 'Pro-Life' Really Isn't

Watch this.

Have A Good Morning

work by Jane Ingram Allen


The Onion - Things That Shouldn't Be Said In Modern Society To Be Said At Least 1,400 Times At RNC

The Onion: Things That Shouldn't Be Said In Modern Society To Be Said At Least 1,400 Times At RNC

Al Jazeera - Argentina Capital In Grip Of Tango Fever

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

Conditioned Snoozing

Live Science: People Can Learn While They're Asleep, Study Finds

Wow And Oh Dear

Ready to start hammering out the details of a two state solution yet?

Allow me to point out one major thing. Whatever you might read in the following article will seem tame in the future as the GOTP continues to lunge even further right

AlterNet: 6 Right-Wing Zealots and the Crazy Ideas Behind the Most Outrageous Republican Platform Ever
...public policy should favor married couples over “cohabitators, homosexuals, or fornicators.”

...President Obama were being too hard on Uganda’s infamous “kill the gays” bill, which he described as an attempt to “uphold moral conduct.

...supposed threat to the Constitution and laws of the US from “ Sharia law”; getting this language into the platform puts the GOP in the position of endorsing a ludicrous far-right conspiracy theory.

The Market On Tuesday

Good morning. It is 68 degrees and rainy here in Upstate NY. I see that there are protestors at the RNC - Republican convention protesters come armed with outrage. From the point of view of having any effect on the delegates and politicians, well, clearly they will have no impact. From the point of view of gaining some media coverage and in so doing shed some light on what exactly they are protesting, it seems like a reasonable strategy. One suspects that since this is the RNC then one would expect right wing agitators to join in with the ranks of the protestors and as we know start some mischief. Unfortunately it's always violent mischief. I am dreading the Romney presidency.

At 8:00 a.m. futures are flat, the dollar is mostly down against major world currencies, and the price of oil is up per barrel. The market is poised to open in the flat to slightly higher area with energy stocks possibly benefiting from the oil price bump.

Investors will get some economic news on home prices and consumer confidence today which might have some weight on the indexes. Otherwise the expectation is for more quietness in the market as we engage in these few days before Labor Day. After Labor Day anticipate a more active Wall Street, culminating in the election of a new President. When Romney takes over, Wall Street will react favorably. Take away taxes and corporate responsibility and the gates of unregulated irresponsibility are thrown open. Look forward to an economic bubble, the bubble will collapse but not before the wealthiest of the wealthy haul away another load of wealth, then anticipate an even worse recession which should really be the final blow to any last notions of a democratic nation where opportunity even exists for ordinary people. Entitlements of any kind will be a quaint memory, SSI gone, medicare gone, publicly held entities will be handed over to corporate control as the nation generally deteriorates further while a few pockets of opulence become the focus of star crazed media attention. Yoga anyone?

CNN: Stocks: Investors hit pause
...Investors are hopeful that he (Bernanke) will announce further action to ease growing concerns about a U.S. economic slowdown.

Experts say that prices (of oil) could shoot up another 10 cents fairly quickly, depending upon the extent and duration of the refinery shutdowns.

'Nuages'

Didier Lockwood and Bireli Lagrene

Monday, August 27, 2012

Good Night


'Springtime With Obaachan - Japan'

Springtime with Obaachan - Japan from Andy Ellis on Vimeo.

Occupy Versus The Westboro Baptist Church

This was in Tampa by the GOP convention.

Outdoing Akin

Think Progress: Pennsylvania GOP Senate Candidate: Getting Pregnant From Rape Is ‘Similar’ To Having A Baby Out Of Wedlock

DOW Closes Lower

The DOW closed at 13,124.67 dropping 33.30 points.

Morningstar: Stocks Struggle to Hold Gains, End Mixed

Competing Disasters

Wondering if any born again right wing fundies are piecing together the storyline about how god and Isaac are showing everyone in the USA that the GOP is going to be another natural disaster for the country. Why else would a hurricane descend at this particular instant?

FOX News: Isaac threatens to dampen Romney's long-awaited moment

Tweety Takes On The Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus

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

TRNN - 'Nonsense Economics' And The Deepening Greek Crisis


More at The Real News

DOW Flat At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 13,168.15 up 10.18 points.

CNN: Isaac threatens Gulf oil production

Have A Good Morning

work by Cy Twombly


The Onion - School Janitor's Summer As Human Already A Distant Memory

The Onion: School Janitor's Summer As Human Already A Distant Memory

Al Jazeera - US Arms Sales Shoot To Record Levels

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

Pollutant Dispersion

Live Science: Wind Patterns Create Pollution Hotspots in Cities

Hate Fest Redux

AlterNet: Right Wing Finally Unites Behind Romney With Anti-Obama Hate-Fest in Tampa

The Market On Monday

Good morning. It is 67 degrees and sunny here in Upstate NY. I hope you had a good weekend. We had more of a social weekend with gatherings on Friday and Saturday night. Funny how it's feast or famine with gatherings, nothing will happen for weeks or months and then all of a sudden a grouping of invitations comes at the same time where you can't really make them all.

At 8:15 a.m. futures are slightly higher, the dollar is mostly down against major world currencies, and the price of oil is higher per barrel. The market is poised to open slightly higher.

The articles point to the same late summer pattern with low trading activity and not much in the way of economic news. This can only mean that there is a convocation of serious merde getting ready to hit the fan.

Investors are waiting to see what the Fed will determine from the point of view of the national economy. There will be another Fed meeting this week and each and every word that Fed Chair Bernanke will utter will be parsed for varying degrees of meaning and implication.

On another note, I beg you, literally beg you to take the time and read this article over at Common Dreams - Two Santa Clauses or How The Republican Party Has Conned America for Thirty Years. This is a very important article and will give you enough background information to understand the present economic pickle and what the two parties are struggling for. In truth it's now what 1 and 1/2 of the parties want versus what the other 1/2 want. The Democrats are no longer the party opposed to "Reaganomics", half of the party is "in the bag" the other half is in a bag drowning and fighting for it's life.

CNN: Stocks: Choppy trading ahead
Minutes from the Fed's last meeting released last week suggested that additional stimulus could come "fairly soon"...

...Bernanke reiterated that the Fed still has room to boost the economy if needed...

No U.S. economic reports are due out Monday.

'J'attendrai'

Tchavolo Schmitt

Sunday, August 26, 2012

'Internal Affairs'

The Family Guy

Good Night


A Brief History Of How The American Economy Went Decisively Sour From Reagan On

I've said this before, but this article is an absolute must read. Please take the time to read it through.

Common Dreams: Two Santa Clauses or How The Republican Party Has Conned America for Thirty Years

Crist Endorses Obama

This is not a joke, this is real.

What you have is the former governor of the State of Florida, where the GOTP convention will be held this coming week, endorsing Obama for President.

WSJ: Florida’s Crist Endorses Obama

'The Salt Men Of Tibet' Pt1

Star

For details on the stock market, try: Morningstar

Akin Now Down In Polls

If Akin is now 9 points behind McCaskill then why is any Republican ahead anywhere given that Akin's statements reflect basic GOTP policy and beliefs? Let me put this another way. Why are people willing to accept any GOTP politician when they share Akin's beliefs? Akin was ahead, he states the basic GOTP policy, now he's trashed. The point is all GOTP share Akin's beliefs especially surrounding women and their reproductive rights which in GOTP world amount to NO rights.

Is it because no other GOTP politician has gotten caught by the MSM and therefor people don't know what is going on in the GOTP heart? I do not understand this.

Saint Louis Post Dispatch: Poll shows Akin now trails McCaskill in Missouri Senate race

Cliff


Have A Good Morning

work by Cy Twombly


The Onion - Nation's Underfunded Public Education System To Experiment With Shortened 6-Day School Year

The Onion: Nation's Underfunded Public Education System To Experiment With Shortened 6-Day School Year

Al Jazeera - Australia's Qantas Posts Huge Loss

Al Jazeera - Spain's Rebel Mayor Fights Back At Austerity Cuts

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

Live Science: Does Shaving Really Cause Hair to Grow Back Thicker and Coarser?

The Two State Solution

The article highlights the rabid and unintelligible (and I would emphasize the word unintelligible because rationality and common sense are absent) extremism found in the red states, civil war indeed. We could only be so fortunate for a succession from the union of Texas and other states that want to go with it. Go, there's not even a need for a war, just go. We'll even kick in start up money if you take FOX, Limbaugh, Inhofe, and all the rest with you.

CS Monitor: UN eyeing Texas invasion? Probably not, but ‘civil war’ fears abound

Wasting Food

Interesting point - if wasted/discarded food came out of the equation, and other materials were recycled, the need for land fills would be very reduced.

AlterNet: 18 Surprising Facts That Will Motivate You to Stop Wasting Food
...every day America wastes enough food to fill the Rose Bowl – the 90,000-seat football stadium in Pasadena, California – and sometimes it’s as much as two stadiums full.

Inhofe - The Bible Says Global Warming Is A Hoax

"God's still up there, and the arrogance of people to think that we, human beings, would be able to change what he (god) is doing in the climate, is to me outrageous."

'Disco Inferno'

The Trammps

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Good Night


Hey Chicago, What Gives

NBC News: 5 Dead, 16 Wounded in Overnight Shootings

Maddow - Trolling For Racists

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

Neil Armstrong Dies

CNN: Neil Armstrong, first man on the moon, dies

Tragedy In NY

CNN: Police: All Empire State shooting victims were wounded by officers

Have A Good Morning


The Onion - Nation Celebrates Full Week Without Deadly Mass Shooting UPDATE: Never Mind

The Onion: Nation Celebrates Full Week Without Deadly Mass Shooting UPDATE: Never Mind

Al Jazeera - Romney's 'Birther' Dig Courts Controversy

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

Modern Safety Precautions

Run, hide, fight - in that order of priority.

Live Science: What Should You Do in a Mass Shooting?

Private

AlterNet: How Privacy in America Went Virtually Extinct in Just a Decade

Morning

I attended a nice gathering of bipartisan friends last night. Politics did not really enter into the conversations except for a general agreement that the volume of the rhetoric needs to drop down many notches. Here in New York it is clearly understood that this is a blue state and so the quantity of negative advertising and such is slightly reduced. However people noted that in the swing states the intensity and quantity of negative ads is overwhelming. In a sense we are at the threshold of the super charged negative advertising political message era therefor one can only imagine how much lower that bar will drop in future political campaigns.

It's been another rough week with more outrageous shootings and violence in the US. In a way the hatchet attacks of the politicians seems to mirror the anger and hatred that is palpable within our society. On the fringes we have more and more groups that are interested in civil wars, shooting abortion providers, murdering innocent minority religious people, and on and on plus their messages of hatred are now more visible and present in the news. Bless the MSN's jaded little heart for recognizing the country's insatiable need for car wreck equivalent news. Fear and contempt still sell.

One item that caught my attention was Limbaugh's recent rant about the intelligence level of the country. He noted a poll that showed 52% of voters believe Obama will be best suited to helping the interests of the middle class, while only 39% believe Romney is more suited for that particular task. This naturally made Limbaugh furious and the 52% are a gaggle of idiots. I think what is surprising for many of us is that as many as 39% believe that Romney will actually help the middle class. This is a victory for the FOX News sector that has turned propaganda into a sacred art. How could so many people possibly believe that cutting even more taxes on the job outsourcers while raising taxes on the middle class itself would help their lot, let alone completely removing the last vestiges of a social safety net along with privatizing SSI and eliminating medicare. I don't really have a plan for the Romney presidency and how to personally make economic adjustments, but I am working on it.

All in all, politics is depressing or rather it is definitely in a depressing state. I don't know how this bitter effervescent division in this country improves. The right has become intractable by abandoning any tiny willingness to negotiate. The time of the moderate approachable conservative is long gone replaced with a shrillness that is sickening as in nauseating. I am out of ideas on this knowing full well that authoritarianism does not compromise, it's all about take no prisoners victory. We know that there is more contraction in the global economy meaning that the stresses that provoke outrageous and often violent behaviors in people are increasing.

We are open to suggestions.

'Seul Ce Soir'

Tchavolo Schmitt and Fapy Lafertin

Friday, August 24, 2012

'Butter'

trailer

Just

We are looking at a very tricky next four years...

Raw Story: Ryan on abortion exceptions: Rape is just another ‘method of conception’

Good Night


Obama 46.6%, Romney 45.6%

This week Obama lost some ground.

Real Clear Politics: Obama 46.6, Romney 45.6

'Orchestra'

Orchestra(2008) from Ryo_okawara on Vimeo.

Dan Rather: 'There's Nothing Decided At The Conventions Now'





DOW Closes Higher

The DOW closed at 13,157.97 gaining 100.51 points.

CNN: Energy to keep booming no matter who's president

Chicago Shootings

Chicago Tribune: 19 people shot in overnight shootings across Chicago

NYC Shooting

NYT: Several People Shot, One Fatally, Outside Empire State Building

TRNN - Prisons, Profit And Immigrants In Arizona


More at The Real News

DOW Higher At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 13,121.46 up 64.00 points.

CNN: Why bank stocks are immune to scandal

Have A Good Morning


The Onion - Parents Don't Remember Enough Colors To Help With Kindergartner's Homework

The Onion: Parents Don't Remember Enough Colors To Help With Kindergartner's Homework

Al Jazeera - Neo-Nazi Music Popular In US Military

Very troubling news...

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

On Abortion

Live Science: What Americans Really Think About Abortion

Fem Bod

The silver lining to the Akin tragedy is that there seems to be more factual information on the female body coming forward on the internet and other media. I was not aware that in this modern age so many people are holding onto such bizarre ideas and dangerous notions especially someone in a position of power like Akin and right here in the USA.

AlterNet: 7 of the Craziest Myths About Female Biology of All Tim
3. The Dangerous Clitoris

The Market On Friday

Good morning and welcome to the weekend. It is 59 degrees and sunny here in Upstate NY. Is it just me or did this last week literally fly by? Unfortunately I have a working weekend ahead and I am not looking forward to it either. On a personal note, my latest collection of music is in production and I expect to have some physical CD's in my possession within the next 10 days.

At 8:00 a.m. futures are flat, the dollar is up against major world currencies, and the price of oil is down per barrel. The market is poised to open in the flat to lower area.

The most relevant news is that trading volume remains light and although the market dropped on Thursday, not much activity is expected. That of course can change at the drop of a hat.

Investors are waiting for the next Fed meeting scheduled for next week. There is great anticipation surrounding the possibility of another round of quantitative easing or some similar measure to "provoke" the economy. Till that occurs the steady stream of economic news and data will be more in the background.

CNN: Stocks: Investors sidelined by global growth jitters
Little is expected to shake markets until the Federal Reserve's annual symposium next week in Jackson Hole, Wyo...

Oil for October delivery fell 34 cents to $95.92 a barrel.

'After Midnight'

Blink 182

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Good Night


Breaking News!!

Yes, breaking news, maybe 30 years ago...

NPR: Pew: Middle Class Poorer, Earning Less And Shrinking

King Maker

Media Matters: Limbaugh: "If I Had Demanded Akin Drop Out, He'd Be Gone"

'Boosting'

BBC: Paralympic athletes who harm themselves to perform better

Akin Raising Big Bucks After Crazed Rape Comment

Apparently people out in Missouri have found their ideal candidate, a candidate who speaks to the people, for the people, and about the people...

USA Today: Embattled Rep. Akin reaches a fundraising mark
... he's raised $100,000 in the last two days...

DOW Closes Lower

The DOW closed at 13,057.46 dropping 115.30 points.

CNN: Stocks sell off on slowing growth worries

Maddow - A Treasury Of 'Answering The Simple Question'

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

Coulter - 'Nuke Swine Akin'

TRNN - Romney and Ryan: Right Wing Billionaires Think It's Time To Take The Gloves Off


More at The Real News

DOW Lower At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 13,073.58 down 99.18 points.

CNN: Investors pull another $2.7 billion out of stocks

Read It And Weep

WMUR - New Hampshire: Sheriff candidate says he wouldn't reject deadly force to stop abortions

Have A Good Morning

work by Praba Pilar


The Onion - 2nd-Grade Teacher Can't Believe How Much Fatter They Keep Getting

The Onion: 2nd-Grade Teacher Can't Believe How Much Fatter They Keep Getting

Al Jazeera - An Outbreak Of West Nile Virus Is On Track To Become Worst Ever In US History

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

The Akin School Of Hoax And Fairies

Live Science: Akin Has Company: 5 Politicians Who Got the Science Wrong

Oh The Outrage And The Outrageous

AlterNet: Paul Ryan's Top 10 Falsehoods and Outrages... from Just His First Week on the Campaign Trail
It became clear that under Ryan’s tax plan, Gov. Mitt Romney would pay less than 1% in annual federal taxes...

The Market On Thursday

Good morning. It is 63 degrees and sunny here in Upstate NY. I just got back from a trail run with the dog, it was great fun. The nice thing about a trail run is that your feet don't go through the usual pavement pounding. The forest bed is nice and soft and has some give to it when your running over it. Didn't see any wild critters fortunately because I was wondering if the dog would take off after it. When you get the dog out and running they burn off lots of energy and can sleep through most of the day.

At 7:55 a.m. futures are slightly higher, the dollar is completely mixed against major world currencies, and the price of oil is slightly up per barrel. The market is poised to open a tad higher.

At 8:30 a.m. investors will see the weekly numbers on first time layoffs for the preceding week. I'm thinking the number comes in around 365,000 to 370,000 and that a wild guess.

The action is slow because many investors are on vacation, so we wait it out till after Labor Day. We'll take it though because we need a bit of a respite ourselves.

CNN: Stocks poised for higher open
Minutes released from the Federal Reserve's July meeting show the central bank is considering two key measures...

Wall Street trading volume is expected to stay light for the rest of August.

A preliminary report showed that China's manufacturing sector hit a nine-month low in August...

'Someone Great'

LCD Soundsystem

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Good Night


Test Drive

WaPo: Mars rover Curiosity has first successful drive on Mars; Ray Bradbury honored

Off Ya Go

Sounds like he is loosening his position which can only mean he is saying his last goodbyes.

Reuters: Akin still defiant, but leaves door open to quitting Senate race

This Guy's A Judge?

Please, please, a two state solution...

DFW: Texas Judge Preparing For ‘Civil War’ If Obama Re-Elected

DOW Closes Lower

The DOW closed at 13,172.76 dropping 30.82 points.

CNN: Stocks pare losses after Fed minutes, close mixed

Reich's Latest

Robert Reich: The Fanatical GOP

TRNN - Did Obama Stimulus Work?


More at The Real News

DOW Lower At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 13,141.55 down 62.03 points.

CNN: Stocks lower ahead of Fed

Have A Good Morning


The Onion - Tampa Bay Gay Prostitutes Gearing Up For Flood Of Closeted Republicans

Al Jazeera - Forest Fires Burn Across Europe

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

Table Sized Factory

Live Science: Tiny Factory Could Make Solar Panels Anywhere

Superman Vs Clark

AlterNet: The Power of Being an Introvert in a World That Can't Stop Talking

The Market On Wednesday

Good morning. It is 54 degrees and sunny here in Upstate NY. The morning walk was crisp and pleasant, lots of bikers are out this morning. Bikers like that crisp pre-Fall weather. Mr. Akin will remain in his race for the U.S. Senate, and given the trends in our country he will probably win. I have no faith in the American voting public's ability to discern anything let alone pre-medieval thinking from 'modern' thinking. Let's turns the country back a few centuries, let's even go further, the possibilities are endless.

At 8:10 a.m. futures are modestly down, the dollar is up against major world currencies, and the price of oil is down per barrel. The market is poised to open lower.

Early in the afternoon investors will be parsing the minutes of a recent Fed gathering. The hope is that the groundwork for another round of quantitative easing is being established. Since the idea is bandied about so frequently would it be safe to think that quantitative easing is the magic bullet potentially applied within the next year's timeline. We have two and one half months to go to the election, it will be fascinating to see how the markets flow in this coming period.

CNN: Stocks to open lower
Investors continue to keep an eye on Greece...

...investors will spend Wednesday parsing the minutes of the latest Federal Reserve meeting, while also digesting a report on existing home sales and the latest round of corporate earnings.

The National Association of Realtors will release data on existing home sales for the month of July at 10 a.m. ET.

'You've Got to Hide Your Love Away'

Beatles

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Obama 47.4%, Romney 44.7%

RCP has Obama out in front.

Real Clear Politics: General Election: Romney vs. Obama

Obama 45%, Romney 47%

Gallup has Romney out in front of Obama.

Gallup: U.S. Presidential Election Center

Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche On Panic Attacks, Stress, And Anxiety



Good Night


Examining Akin's Bizarre Claim

Raw Story: Akin rape theory rooted in Nazi death camp experiments
...among adult women an estimated 32,101 pregnancies result from rape each year.” Many experts believe that number could be significantly higher because an estimated 54 percent of rapes are not reported.

'PigGoatBananaMantis!'

I am reposting this animation because it's very funny. It's worth a second look.

PigGoatBananaMantis! from Nick Cross on Vimeo.

Akin Clarification

The linked NYT article is fascinating. I have extracted a very salient segment. Here is the GOTP thinking and I must say, it blows my mind:

- a woman is raped, and that's maybe a problem however...
- if the woman becomes pregnant from the rape then that is a cause for celebration because GOD has bestowed upon that woman the "gift" of a child.

If you do a minor examination of the logic here, it turns into a rapist is beneficial because he helps to bestow on the raped woman the gift of life. A rapist is God's life bestowing messenger.

I do not want to live in the same country with these people. I want a two state solution - Red Conservative America and America.

NYT: G.O.P. Trying to Oust Akin From Race for Rape Remarks
Ms. Barnes echoed Mr. Akin’s statement that very few rapes resulted in pregnancy, adding that “at that point, if God has chosen to bless this person with a life, you don’t kill it.”

DOW Closes Lower

The DOW closed at 13,203.58 dropping 68.06 points.

CNN: Bank stocks to go long on

The Daily Show - Back to School - Economy

TRNN - Collateral Damage Of A Drug War


More at The Real News

DOW Flat At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 13,269.51 down 2.13 points.

CNN: The richest members of Congress

Have A Good Morning

work by Daniel Buren


The Onion - Pregnant Woman Relieved To Learn Her Rape Was Illegitimate

The Onion: Pregnant Woman Relieved To Learn Her Rape Was Illegitimate

Al Jazeera - Colorado's Controversial Education Policy

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

Todd, Pay Attention, School Is In Session

Live Science: Todd Akin & Pregnancy: Yes, It Can Happen to Rape Victims

Maintaining The Tradition

AlterNet: 6 Worst Things Republicans Have Said About Rape, Sex and Women's Bodies

The Market On Tuesday

Good morning. It is 59 degrees and sunny here in Upstate NY. The logo is calling for storms later on in the day, we shall see about that. I am surprised to read Akin's rape remark fallout is still on center stage throughout the internet especially on HuffPo. America's attention span is about 12 hours long and this is going on day 3 because in the news cycle 0 is 1, the point at which the story comes forth is day 1. Also notice that the GOTP convention platform will call for a Constitutional ban on abortions. I cannot emphasize my fundamental belief that the US needs to find a two state solution for itself. Hey, create a second country, make everybody happy.

At 8 a.m. futures are modestly higher, the dollar is down against major world currencies, and the price of oil is slightly down per barrel. The market is poised to open in the mixed to slightly higher zone.

As we know we are into a lull period on Wall Street with many investors on vacation. As a result we are seeing a stable and ever so slightly shifting market. This can only mean that some kind of breakout day is coming soon, good or bad. Also recall that the DOW is presently perched in the vicinity of a four year high - good news for Obama and no doubt good news for the GOTP as they ignore the number and continue with the disinformation format. Bless their twisted little souls. Seriously now, to believe that you have the moral duty to lie because your concept of the world is superior, that's just a little too flimsy and arrogant for my tastes. As we see, Akin included, Ryan included, we have an authoritarian class of people who have so fundamentally bought into this superior position meme that it has virtually crippled their own sense of curiosity and especially their sense of intellectual curiosity. Now that I write this it is clearer to me why higher education or even education in general is now frowned upon in the GOTP. Their idea is why learn something when you already know it all. Yeah, we're screwed.

CNN: Stocks: Europe draws interest
...Greek prime minister Antonis Samaras meets with eurozone officials throughout the week....to push for a two-year extension of Greece's bailout program...

... investors will look for clues about whether quantitative easing could be coming when chairman Ben Bernanke speaks at the Jackson Hole, Wyo., symposium at the end of the month.