Thursday, February 28, 2013

Good Night

Autonomous Weapons

Sequester Time

Guardian UK: White House and GOP set to let sequester deadline expire without deal - Washington braces for prolonged stand-off in the 'sequester' crisis as both sides neglect to seek out last-minute deal

DOW Closes Lower

The DOW closed at 14,054.49 dropping 20.88 points.

CNN: Sluggish economy may signal correction

Maddow - Dismantling Voting Rights

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

The Daily Show - Exclusive - R.J. Cutler Extended Interview Pt. 1

DOW Lower At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 14,062.20 down 13.17 points.

CNN: Jobless claims fall sharply - 344,000

Have A Good Morning

work by Sanfte Strukturen

The Onion - Report: Chinese Third-Graders Falling Behind U.S. High School Students in Math, Science

The Onion: Report: Chinese Third-Graders Falling Behind U.S. High School Students in Math, Science

Al Jazeera - US Tycoon Plans Mission To Mars

Al Jazeera - Live Stream

The Market On Thursday

  Good morning. It is 36 degrees and raining here in Upstate. Yesterday's several inches of snow are now slush and a lot of sogginess. The snow covering is dissipating and the ground grass is starting to once again reemerge. My friends in New York City are already enjoying some of the early spring flowers. Remember those early flowers. Well, if NYC is getting them now, we are not too far behind. Looking ahead at the forecast, temperatures in the 40s are expected over the next 10 days and we could really use a little sunshine.

  At 6:30 a.m. E.T. futures are flat and the price of oil per barrel is slightly higher. The market is poised to open in the flat to slightly higher area.

  As you know the DOW is at present above 14,000, so everything is pretty fluffy. Investors will be parsing data on employment, the GDP, and corporate results today. I have to say, we all expect the "other shoe" to drop at anytime, right. We are trained to expect volatility and to a certain extent we anticipate it. However at present the surprise seems to be in the market's strong performance.

CNN: Stocks: Economy, earnings back in focus
(Today) the Commerce Department will publish its second estimate of fourth-quarter GDP.

...European Central Bank President Mario Draghi that suggested the bank had room to relax policy further.

Sugar And Diabetes

Guardian UK: Sugar is behind global explosion in type 2 diabetes, study finds

Point Two - It Doesn't Work

Bottom line - austerity is a conservative construct which does not work in terms of improving an economy.

Reuters: Analysis: Cuts unlikely to deliver promised U.S. budget savings

Tribalism

AlterNet: Christians Protest Yoga in Schools -- But Welcome Bible Study

America's Embarrassment

AlterNet: Dumpster Diving in the Great Recession: 'I Did It Because I Was Hungry"

'We're Going To Be Friends'

White Stripes

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Good Night

See you bright and early on Thursday morning. It's a really "miserable" sort of night here with rain on top of the snow that came through yesterday. It's wet and slushy. There's lots of car accidents and generally it's a good night to stay in and get cozy.

DOW Closes Higher

The DOW closed at 14,075.37 gaining 175.24 points.

CNN: Dow rallies to new 5-year high

Maddow - GOP Obstruction

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

The Daily Show - Exclusive - Lori Silverbush And Kristi Jacobson Extended Interview Pt. 1

DOW Higher At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 13,993.97 up 93.84 points.

CNN: Spending cuts: It's about to get weird

Brain, Sleep, Your Health

Guardian UK: Neurons in the brain switch identity and re-route fibres

Guardian UK: Sleeping less than six hours a night skews activity of hundreds of genes - Genes affected by lack of sleep include those governing the immune system, metabolism and the body's response to stress

Have A Good Morning

work by Chris Drury

The Onion - U.K. Cardinal Resigns In Wake Of—Get This—Sex Abuse Allegations

The Onion: U.K. Cardinal Resigns In Wake Of—Get This—Sex Abuse Allegations

Al Jazeera - Iran's Chief Nuclear Negotiator Speaks To Al Jazeera

Al Jazeera - Live Stream

The Market On Wednesday

  Good morning. At 6:30 a.m. it is 33 degrees and lightly snowing here in Upstate NY. We woke up to several inches of snow on the ground this morning, it's white out there and it's a wet heavy snow. Up to today the warmer temperatures had brought the ground almost back to being snow free. I suspect the snow won't stick around for long.

  At 6:30 a.m. E.T. futures are flat and the price of oil is slightly higher. The market is poised to open in the flat range.

  Allegedly investors are still trying to figure out what to make of Italy's recent election. Today Italy will attempt to sell off billions in bonds, if that were to go successfully, an appeasement will occur. It's interesting to note that defense maker stocks are taking a pounding with sequestration and a reduction in military spending about to be put into effect. This will very much adversely effect red states from the point of view of community wealth and employment. I think the Tea Party GOP is inviting even more disgrace and dissolution with their childish stance of non-governance and extremist anti-Obama mindless obstruction.

CNN: Stocks: Italy worries remain despite rally
(Italy) looks to sell 3-4 billion euros worth of 10-year bonds.

...the Census Bureau will release data on durable goods orders at 8:30 a.m. ET, and Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke will be back on Capital Hill to give testimony...

Pay Attention - Voting Rights

Please pay attention to this.

Reuters: Supreme Court to weigh ongoing validity of voting rights law

Global Warming - Plantary Waves

Reuters: Global warming may cause extremes by slowing "planetary waves"

PTSD

AlterNet: The Ravages of War Related PTSD Spread to Partners and Children of US Soldiers

The Other Side Of The Line

AlterNet: What I Learned Working as a Phone Sex Operator -- 16 Surprising Secrets of the Trade

'Days'

The Kinks

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Good Night

Top DHS Checkpoint Refusals

Watch this and cringe.

Over 50 And Cooked

We call it agism.

CNN: Workers over 50 are the new 'unemployables'

Hagel Time

CNN: Hagel confirmed as U.S. defense secretary, bruised after political fight

DOW Closes Higher

The DOW closed at 13,900.13 gaining 115.96 points.

CNN: Bernanke: Spending cuts add 'significant' burden to recovery

The Daily Show - Sequester 2013 - Prelude To The Return Of The Barter System

DOW Higher At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 13,847.25 up 63.08 points.

As the budget cuts go into effect this Friday, it is a simple known fact that the recovery will be hindered further. So determined to undermine Obama is the GOTP that they will risk our economic future in order to prove a point. Most Americans understand who is responsible.

CNN: Bernanke: Spending cuts add 'significant' burden to recovery

CNN: If spending is cut, GOP will get the blame

Have A Good Morning

work by David Nash



The Onion - The Week In Review

The Onion: Middle-Aged Banana Panics Upon Finding First Brown Spot

Al Jazeera - Call For Taiwan To End Animal Euthanasia

Al Jazeera - Live Stream

Junk

NYT: The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food

The Market On Tuesday

  Good morning. It is 26 degrees and relatively clear as the sun rises here in Upstate NY. March is so very quickly approaching. It seems like February just flew by. Yesterday morning was the strongest taste of springtime yet in my opinion. The birds are back and they are chirping in the morning, plus the sun is higher in the sky. Ah springtime...

  At 6:30 a.m. futures are slightly higher and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open mixed to down.

  Investors were surprised to see that Italians voted against austerity. I was not. Austerity, I mean come on, not gonna work. Can't we do a little bit better than that - message to conservatives - a country's economy is not the same as balancing your check book, it's an itty bitty little more complicated than that.

  Otherwise investors will be parsing Bernanke's words before Congress and in my opinion that is the salient part of today's market. When Bernanke speaks the world's economies listen.

Reuters: Stock index futures point to small rebound
(The Italian vote caused) worry that Europe's debt problems could once again destabilize the global economy.

Ben Bernanke delivers the first of two days of congressional testimony on the Federal Reserve's semi-annual monetary policy report.

Global Warming - Extreme Weather

The A Register: Climate scientists link global warming to extreme weather - Blame giant, increasingly lazy atmospheric waves

Getting To Know You

AlterNet: 9 Fascinating Things You May Not Know About the Penis

Arkansas's Landlord-Tenant Law

AlterNet: 1 Day Late on Rent Can Land You in Jail? A Shockingly Draconian Renters Law (Hard Times USA)

Italians Reject Austerity

Austerity is not the way to go.

CNN: Italian election rattles world markets

'Got My Mind Set On You'

George Harrison

Monday, February 25, 2013

Good Night

Reuters: Analysis: Morning in America? U.S. economy poised to accelerate

Britain's Highest Catholic Cardinal Resigns

BBC: Cardinal Keith O'Brien resigns as Archbishop

Sequester-Lypse

Guardian UK: Obama rallies sequester support in warning to Republican governors

DOW Closes Lower

The DOW closed at 13,784.17 dropping 216.40 points.

CNN: Dow and S&P 500 post worst day of 2013

Mini

Raw Story: Scientists discover traces of lost mini-continent in the Indian Ocean

DOW Lower At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 13,987.52 down 13.05 points.

CNN: What really happens March 1?

New Anti-McConnell Ad

Have A Good Morning

work by Sanfte Strukturen

The Onion - 240 Killed In Stampede After Bucketful Of Oscars Just Dumped On Stage

The Onion: 240 Killed In Stampede After Bucketful Of Oscars Just Dumped On Stage

Al Jazeera - Italy At An Economic Crossroads

Al Jazeera - Live Stream

Global Warming - California Gets The Message

SF Chronicle: Global warming worries Californians

Apple Pie

AlterNet: Water Torture, as American as Apple Pie

The Market On Monday

  Good morning. At 8:30 a.m. E.T. it is 23 degrees and sunny here in Upstate NY. I hope you had a good weekend. I have been investing more and more time into retrieving my yoga practice. This is something I did religiously a few years back and then fell out of doing. So far so good as it's important to take it slowly and progressively. Yoga could very well be the best form of exercise out there. The body feels very alive after doing it and the body/mind connection feels a bit stronger and better.

  At 8:30 a.m. futures are ever so slightly higher and the price of oil per barrel is higher. The market is poised to open higher.

  In my opinion there are four things weighing on the markets this morning. First is the value of the Japanese yen as that country seeks to change it's monetary profile. Then there is the election in Italy, with Italy a prominent economic member of the E.U. Then we have the downgrading of the British credit rating by Moody's. Lastly there is the incoming crisis in the U.S. as severe budget cuts come into fruition at the end of this week. Regarding the last piece, with a GOP unfortunately dominated by the radical Tea Party and on a mission to implode itself and the country, expect nothing to happen here.

CNN: Stocks: It's all international
...Pier Luigi Bersani on track to defeat controversial three-time prime minister Silvio Berlusconi and ex-comedian Beppe Grillo...

Lowe's reported lower sales and earnings...

'Julio'

Gonzalo Bergara

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Good Night

See you in the morning. Tonight, it's the Knicks.

'The Power Of Forgiveness'

trailer

I borrowed this from the library and I highly recommend it.

CNN - Human Mission To Mars

CNN: Human mission to Mars may be planned for 2018

Stocks

Reuters: Avoid the herd mentality on growth vs. value stocks

Obama, Say No

Guardian UK: Keystone XL decision will define Barack Obama's legacy on climate change - Does the president have courage to say 'no' to a project that will lock us into decades of dependency on this dirty energy?

Have A Good Morning

work by Banksy

The Onion - Bob Dylan Lays Off 2,000 Workers From Songwriting Factory

The Onion: Bob Dylan Lays Off 2,000 Workers From Songwriting Factory

Al Jazeera - UK Movie Audience Gets Wired In

Al Jazeera - Live Stream

Global Warming - Middle East Water



The visualization shows variations in total water storage from normal, in millimeters, in the Tigris and Euphrates river basins, as measured by NASA's Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites, from January 2003 through December 2009. Reds represent drier conditions, while blues represent wetter conditions. The effects of the seasons are evident, as is the major drought that hit the region in 2007. The majority of the water lost was due to reductions in groundwater caused by human activities. By periodically measuring gravity regionally, GRACE tells scientists how much water storage changes over time.

Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio

Poverty

AlterNet: 4 Bogus Right-Wing Theories About Poverty, and the Real Reason Americans Can’t Make Ends Meet

Insurance Cuts

WSJ: Why your boss is dumping your wife - Companies are dropping health coverage for spouses to cut costs

Australian Floods

The Australian: Floods, wild weather pound NSW coast

'Elena's Bossa'

Gonzalo Bergara Quartet

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Spain Protests

Reuters: Tens of thousands in Spain protest economic policy, corruption

Climate Change - Scientist

CNN: Science Seat: Meet a climate change scientist
There was a brilliant Swedish chemist named (Svante) Arrhenius who published a paper in 1896 based on his measurements of how much energy carbon dioxide absorbed. Simply based on his observations on the absorptions of energy by carbon dioxide, he was able to come up with a relatively accurate estimate of how much the climate might change by the doubling of CO2.

Part of the reason why it is important to look back to Arrhenius is because we can really understand in great agonizing detail how the physics of heat absorption by carbon dioxide works and we can understand how that translates to our warmer planet. The understanding of the physics that was well-established more than 100 years ago is, of course, the core foundation on which the modern understanding of climate has been built.

'Evolution Of Mom Dancing'

Michelle Obama and Jimmy Fallon

Good Night

Pyramid

Escalating Medical Costs

from deep operative Dr. Phil

Time: Bitter Pill: Why Medical Bills Are Killing Us

Sequestration - Airquestration

Guardian UK: Budget cuts will cause air travel 'calamity', Ray LaHood warns

Corporate Right To Vote

A bill is being introduced into the Montana legislature that would give corporations the right to vote.

Montana Gov.: HOUSE BILL NO. 486

Raw Story: Montana legislator introduces bill to give corporations right to vote

Wet Weekend

CNN: Wet, messy weather to hit eastern U.S.

'Continuum'

trailer

CONTINUUM [Trailer] from Planetary Collective on Vimeo.

Have A Good Morning

work by Banksy

The Onion - Snowstorm In Chicago Delays Hundreds Of Morning Murders

The Onion: Snowstorm In Chicago Delays Hundreds Of Morning Murders

Al Jazeera - South Korea To Inaugurate Female President

Al Jazeera - Live Stream

Global Warming - The Permafrost, Methane, CO2

The Daily Mail: Study of Siberian permafrost caves shows global warming of just 1.5C 'would pump out a TRILLION tonnes of methane and CO2'

A Million Per Hour

AlterNet: Just What Do Hedge Fund Honchos Do For a Million Bucks an Hour?

British Downgrade

Reuters: Moody's strips Britain of triple-A rating in major blow to Osborne

'Djangology'

Gonzalo Bergara and Joscho Stephan

Friday, February 22, 2013

Good Night

Reuters: Detroit named most miserable U.S. city in Forbes ranking

Forward On Climate Rally

350.org sponsored event from Feb.17.

Moth

Fascinating stories told by regular people - love it.

The Moth - True Stories Told Live

DOW Closes Higher

The DOW closed at 14,000.57 gaining 119.95 points.

CNN: India's new craving for luxury chocolates

Maddow - Indiana’s Mandated Double Trans-Vaginal Probe Bill

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

Stossel And Coulter

The Daily Show - Exclusive - Steven Brill Extended Interview Part 1

DOW Higher At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 13,938.69 up 58.07 points.

CNN: Stocks rebound after two-day slide

Have A Good Morning

work by Monet

The Onion - Area Man Panics After Accidentally 'Liking' 381 Of His Ex-Girlfriend’s Facebook Photos

The Onion: Area Man Panics After Accidentally 'Liking' 381 Of His Ex-Girlfriend’s Facebook Photos

Al Jazeera - Horsemeat Scandal Puts Focus On Eating Habits

Al Jazeera - Live Stream

Give

Live Science: Giving Really Does Beat Receiving

Torture

AlterNet: Inside the Bush Administration's Lawless Global Torture Regime (And How Obama Remains Complicit)

The Market On Friday

  Good morning and welcome to the weekend. It is 20 degrees and overcast here in Upstate NY. The forecast is predicting temperatures in the 40s for the next few days. I will appreciate the slightly warmer temperatures as we've had a bone chilling wind over the last few days. The wind seemed to quiet yesterday evening. Regardless, I hope you have a good weekend.

  At 6:30 a.m. futures are slightly higher and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open in the mixed territory.

  The financial articles are predicting a quiet end to the week. This sounds good except the news out of the eurozone continues to point to a worsening economic crisis. Over the course of the crisis this will continue to wear down the markets and the degree to which that occurs is unclear.

CNN: Stocks: A Friday end to the slide?
...no major economic or corporate reports on tap.

Eurozone Crisis Deepens

Guardian UK: Eurozone crisis live: EC admits recession will be deeper than feared

Facebook Culture

Guardian UK: Woman, 104, forced to lie about age on Facebook

'Piano Concerto In F Minor'

Cristiano Burato plays the music of Chopin

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Good Night

See you bright and early Friday morning. Meanwhile, check out the felon.

Raw Story: Walmart pressing felony charges against employee who ate ‘multiple’ Oreo cookies

Welcome To America

Guardian UK: Georgia rushes to carry out executions before lethal drug supply expires

Only Nutty Conservatives Believe There's No Climate Change

Raw Story: Pat Robertson: Only ‘nutty’ Ph.D.s believe climate change causes more blizzards

DOW Closes Lower

The DOW closed at 13,880.62 dropping 46.92 points.

CNN: Biggest problems with the budget cuts

Maddow - Mississippi Bans Abortion

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

DOW Lower At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 13,862.17 down 65.37 points.

CNN: Stocks in red after downbeat economic data

The Daily Show - Hagel With A Smear - Country First

Have A Good Morning

work by Andy Warhol

The Onion - Supervisor Encourages Interns To Take On More Responsibilities Of 3 Full-Time Staff Members

The Onion: Supervisor Encourages Interns To Take On More Responsibilities Of 3 Full-Time Staff Members

Al Jazeera - Thousands Rally Against Austerity In Greece

Al Jazeera - Live stream

Drone It

Live Science: Drones Large and Small Coming to US

California Politics

AlterNet: Why California Politics Is Different from the Rest of the Country

The Market On Thursday

  Good morning. It is 23 degrees and almost lightly snowing here in Upstate NY. We have one more official month of Winter, today we are 2/3rds of the way through the cold season. Everyone seems to mutter under their breath about how we look forward to the warmer weather, so be it. One interesting part is how the body seems to adapt, we go out in 30 degree weather and feel fine, no shivering anymore.

  At 6:30 a.m. E.T. futures are flat and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open flat to lower.

  Investors will parse a few more fourth quarter reports along with data on housing, employment, and inflation. Harsh economic news out of Europe has effected the indexes recently and exactly how this will factor into an essentially booming corporate economy is not perfectly clear. One can still find an economist of high standing who will indicate optimism or pessimism, the market is hard to predict, however at present we are clearly in the high end of the index spectrum.

CNN: Stocks struggle to recover momentum
...reports on inflation and initial jobless claims are...

...data on existing home sales...

European markets fell sharply in morning trading on concerns about tighter monetary policy in the U.S. and the disappointing PMI data.

Unnecessary Medical Tests

Reuters: Just say don't: Doctors question routine tests and treatments

Maddow - Republicans Floundering

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

Explaining Dorner

Not Safe For Work Corporation: Wrongful Termination: Chris Dorner’s Terrifyingly Banal Killing Spree

'Fortunate Son'

Creedence Clearwater Revival

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Good Night

Guardian UK: Georgia presses US supreme court to overturn Warren Hill's stay of execution

Headline Of The Week

You can't top it.

Raw Story: Former Republican senator reveals secret child with another senator’s daughter

DOW Closes Lower

The DOW closed at 13,927.54 dropping 108.13 points.

CNN: Dow sinks 100 points on Fed minutes

CNN - 'Houdini Horse'

Maddow - Asking Politicians Real Questions

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

The Daily Show - Horse D'oeuvre

DOW Lower At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 14,015.46 down 20.21 points.

CNN: Bonds are riskier than stocks

Have A Good Morning

work by Andy Goldsworthy

The Onion - Person One Season Ahead In TV Show Doling Out Counsel Like Wise Elder

The Onion: Person One Season Ahead In TV Show Doling Out Counsel Like Wise Elder

Al Jazeera - US Firm Develops New Airship For Cargo

Al Jazeera - Live Stream

Global Warming - More Blizzards, Less Snowfall

WaPo: Experts: Global warming can strangely trigger less yearly snowfall, but more potent blizzards

Wealth Disease

AlterNet: 5 Signs Extreme Wealth Deadens the "Empathy" and "Honesty" Parts of the Brain

The Market On Wednesday

  Good morning. It is 26 degrees and sunny here in Upstate NY. We are moving into more and more light and if you're like me it's really nice seeing the return of light, I can't say it enough. Right now we are gaining almost three minutes of light per day. The morning walk was refreshing, get out and get walking, it's terrific exercise.

  At 8:20 a.m. E.T. futures are flat and the price of oil per barrel is slightly up. The market is poised to open flat.

  Well, the DOW is near a record high and we are all astonished. Now what? Today investors will be parsing more data on the housing market, and that sector is showing signs of stronger recovery. If those signs continue to be positive today, we may very well see a new record.

CNN: Stocks: Close to record highs
...investors await data on housing starts and building permits at 8:30 a.m. ET.

Overall, the housing recovery is currently a bright spot in the economy.

'L.A. Woman'

The Doors

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Meat In Half

Guardian UK: Halve meat consumption, scientists urge rich world

Good Night

Rachel Maddow's 'Hubris' is a must see for all. All parts of this documentary on the buildup to the Iraq War are posted below.

See you bright and early on Wednesday and have a good evening.

The Ed Show - McCain On Benghazi, Wilkerson On Bush

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

DOW Closes Higher

The DOW closed at 14,035.67 gaining 53.91 points.

CNN: 57 ways sequester could sting

NOVA - Earth From Space

from a deep operative. This is stunning.

Watch Earth from Space on PBS. See more from NOVA.

Romney's Political Strategist

Bloomberg: A Romney Adviser’s Lessons Not Learned

DOW Higher At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 14,022.25 up 40.49 points.

CNN: Spending cuts: What you need to know

Have A Good Morning

Please watch Maddow's 'Hubris'.

Maddow - 'Hubris'

Part one

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



Part two

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



Part Three

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



Part Four

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



Part Five

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



Part Six

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

Bottom Feeders

AlterNet: Meet 6 Politicians Getting Rich from America's Endless Wars

The Market On Tuesday

  Good morning. It is 18 degrees and sunny here in Upstate NY. The forecast has the temperature going up into the high 40s later today and we will welcome that. It's been very cold around here lately with a piercing and harsh wind making it feel extremely frigid out. I hope you had the chance to watch Maddow's MSNBC 'Hubris' last night. I hope that the show will become available for online embedding in the near future. Maddow went into the Bush Administration's willful pumped up reasoning for going to war with Iraq. We learn or should we say re-learn about the amazing lying going on right at the very top with Bush and Cheney to get that miserable war in motion. Make no mistake those guys are war criminals of the lowest rung. They knew very well that the information was faulty and they played it like shifty poker players with no oversight. What an ugly period in American history, and the impulse to do it again is still there, make no mistake.

  At 7:45 a.m. futures are ever so slightly higher and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open mixed to lower.

  Allegedly it will be a quiet day which generally means that the ameliorating factor that moves the market is not known at present. Investors will be parsing data on the housing market over the next few days and this will be another big indicator of the direction of our limping economy. The expectation is for positive numbers.

CNN: Stocks: Waiting for a catalyst
The National Association of Home Builders is scheduled to release its Housing Market index...

Investors have been pulling back a bit after the strong start to the year.

...unleaded gasoline averaged about $3.748 Tuesday...

'Night Time Is The Right Time'

The Animals

Monday, February 18, 2013

Good Night

Exquisite music from Beethoven

Asteroids

AFP: NASA scrambles for better asteroid detection

Warren Hill

Guardian UK: Georgia lawyers rush to save 'mentally retarded' death row inmate

Seven Miles Of Dolphins

Mississippi Ratifies The 13th Amendment - 150 Years Later

Clarion Ledger: Historic oversight corrected: Film 'Lincoln' inspires look into slavery vote

200 Years, 200 Countries, Life Expectancy And Financial Gains

From a deep operative, excellent clip

Maddow - NRA, Elections Post Sandy Hook

Watch this

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

Have A Good Morning

work by Nils Udo

The Onion - American Airlines, US Airways Merge To Form World's Largest Inconvenience

The Onion: American Airlines, US Airways Merge To Form World's Largest Inconvenience

Al Jazeera - Live Stream

Al Jazeera - US Scientists Turn Bags Into Batteries

Simplify - Inside Versus Outside

AlterNet: How Our Machine-Based Way of Life is Not Only Destroying Nature, It Is Also Destroying Us
We're so engaged in doing things to achieve purposes of outer value that we forget that the inner value, the rapture that is associated with being alive, is what it's all about. — Joseph Campbell, The Power of Myth

DC Climate Change Rally

AlterNet: Thousands Descend on Washington DC to Pressure Obama to Keep His Climate Change Promise

Wall Street Is Closed Today

Good morning and welcome to President's Day. I hope you had a good weekend. It is 8 degrees, windy, and sunny here in Upstate NY. This is the hard part of the winter where we all, AKA me, want it to be over. It's hard moving about in this type of cold and wind, but we figure it out. Wall Street is closed today. Even the economy needs a holiday. I see that the 350.org rally in DC was a huge success with roughly 50,000 attending and expressing the need to Obama to not build tar sands pipelines from Canada. Let's hope Obama heard the voices. In another respect this is a momentous type of rally because it looks like the people are starting to build popular momentum around climate change and the need to take immediate action. We take our hats off to all those who attended. It's important to keep the pressure up.

Reuters: Euro, dollar up after G20, stocks ease on growth concern
... Europe's weak growth outlook weighed on sentiment.

...Wall Street will be closed on Monday for the Presidents' Day holiday.

'Minor Swing'

Joscho Stephan

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Good Night

I was just over at the local dog park with the new dog. Although it's supposed to be 19 degrees which believe it or not seems bearable at this time of year, the wind is very strong and making it feel very cold. It's the good old wind chill factor. Long story short, I left too cold to stand around and throw the ball. Yes, I'm quite ready for winter to be over.

See you bright and early Monday morning.

SNL - Djesus Uncrossed

Highly irreverent, interesting how SNL can get away with this on the MSM. The country is changing.

Reich's Latest

Robert Reich: The Minimum Wage, Guns, Healthcare, and the Meaning of a Decent Society

Woodward Gets After Rove

Time Lapse Flowers

Have A Good Morning

work by Dana Schutz

The Onion - Los Angeles On High Alert As LAPD Back On Regular Duty

The Onion: Los Angeles On High Alert As LAPD Back On Regular Duty

Al Jazeera - Live Stream

Hanford Nuke Tank

CS Monitor: Hanford nuclear tank in Washington State is leaking liquids

People

AlterNet: 4 Things You Should Know About Women Who Strip - Exotic dancers aren't who you think they are.

Morning

Good morning. At 8:00 a.m. E.T. it is 18 degrees and cloudy here in Upstate NY. The Sun rose today at 6:49 a.m. and will set at 5:30 p.m compared to December 21st when the Sun rose at 7:22 a.m. and set at 4:25 p.m.

Today there is a large rally going on in D.C. Here are the specifics:
When: February 17th, at 12 Noon
Where: The National Mall, Washington D.C.
Who: 350.org, The Sierra Club and the Hip-Hop Caucus
Why: To tell Barack Obama it's time to lead in the fight against climate change, beginning with the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline.
Those of us not going support their efforts. This is a rather big deal. The processing and burning of those tar sands increasing CO2 in the atmosphere along with the catastrophic results of how tar sands corrode pipelines and leave a trail of oil spills all adds up to our decline. It is a threat to humanity. That's the bottom line.

'She Drives Me Crazy'

Fine Young Cannibals

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Europa

Raw Story: NASA: Jupiter’s moon Europa ‘most promising’ place to sustain life

Good Night

Apart from the culinary uses, burdock root is also well-known for its medicinal qualities, not just the root, every part of the burdock plant is said to have medicinal qualities. It is one of the most ancient roots which is known to cure a number of ailments. In the earlier days, burdock root was known to purify blood by clearing toxins from the bloodstream. It was also known to treat many skin diseases like psoriasis and eczema. Chinese medicine made use of burdock root for treating measles, tonsillitis, colds and sore throat, by combining it with various other herbs. They also made use of burdock root as an aphrodisiac, to treat impotence and barrenness.

Indians and Russians believed that burdock has qualities which can help in treating cancer, recent research has proved that burdock root indeed has anti-cancer properties and can also control the growth of tumors. According to the German scientists, fresh burdock can kill disease causing fungi and bacteria, due to some chemical properties present in it. This root can treat flaky and dry skin disorders, caused due to system imbalance. Not just that, it can also stimulate digestive juices and bile secretion, which makes it useful in treating anorexia. Burdock root has high levels of insulin, this insulin can help in fighting hypoglycemia and also maintain blood sugar levels, especially for the people who are pre-diabetic. source

Redefining The Nut

NYT: Texas Senator Goes on Attack and Raises Bipartisan Hackles

Maher - GOP Etc

Reducing Domestic Violence

CS Monitor: In US, big strides in reducing domestic violence

Pushback

MSNBC: The NRA’s plan of attack: Pro-gun groups kick into high gear after Obama’s SOTU

Maddow - The NRA

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Maddow - Rand Paul

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Have A Good Morning

work by Dana Schutz

The Onion - The Week In Review


Nation's 24 Middle Class Citizens Glad To Hear Obama Looking Out For Them

Al Jazeera - Wrestling's Popularity Declines In Pakistan

Al Jazeera - Chicago Under Spotlight In Gun Violence Debate

Global Warming - Tar Sands Pipelines

Flotsam And Jetsam

AlterNet: The Most Loathsome People in America: The Double Dirty Dozen

'Friday I'm In Love'

The Cure

Friday, February 15, 2013

Good Night

We had another sunny high 40s day here as the snow continues to recede. I was out earlier, walking in shirt and vest, no gloves, no hat. We could taste Spring today.

See you bright and early Saturday morning.

Three

NPR: Three Minute Fiction - Weekends on All Things Considered's contest has a simple premise: Listeners send in original short stories that can be read in three minutes or less.

DOW Closes Higher

The DOW closed at 13,981.76 gaining 8.37 points.

CNN: Why some homeowners are turning down free money

Totally Biased - SOTU Dub-Misstep

Maddow - Misled Into War

Yes, I am a fan of Maddow who is in my opinion one of the best right now.

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