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Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Good Night

We had a legitimate T-shirt is adequate type of warm day. I'm back from a yoga class and I'm raring to go. See you bright and early on Wednesday morning.

Frustrate

Who wouldn't be given the complexion of the present rabid extremist Congress.

Guardian UK: Is Obama 'losing juice'? President cuts frustrated figure after series of setbacks - President jokes that 'rumours of my demise have been exaggerated' – but failure to pass gun control reforms and a stalemate on the budget have left him increasingly powerless

DOW Closes Higher

The DOW closed at 14,839.80 gaining 21.05 points.

CNN: S&P 500 has best win streak since 2009

The Daily Show - Cut Punters

Maddow - Hank Johnson, Congress Sequester Choices

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

DOW Flat At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 14,815.44 down 3.31 points.

CNN: Home price rise continues to pick up speed

Little And Green

Guardian UK: UFO conspiracy hearing boosted by former congressmen and senator - Only little green men at National Press Club are dead presidents on $20,000 honorariums paid to committee members

Have A Good Morning

work by Doris Salcedo

The Onion - Weekend Encounter With Coworker Never Acknowledged

The Onion: Weekend Encounter With Coworker Never Acknowledged

Al Jazeera - NBA Player Announces He Is Gay

Al Jazeera - Climate Change Reduces Production In US

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

Global Warming - Magnificent Plants Help

CS Monitor: Plant gases help curb global warming, finds study - Plants respond to warming temperatures by emitting vapors that help reflect sunlight, a team of scientists have discovered.

Tough Jobs

AlterNet: Pilots and Professors Barely Scraping By? 9 Surprising Jobs That Pay a Pittance - It's not only fry chefs who are struggling to make ends meet.

The Market On Tuesday

  Good morning. It is 51 degrees and cloudy here in Upstate NY. We are into a little bit of a rain pattern, must be related to April showers bringing May flowers. It's hard to believe but the lawn is approaching a level where the grass needs to be cut. Some have already been out there doing just that. I must say that about 3 months after my return to yoga I am feeling the benefits. The lower back is not quite so bad, the sense of internal physical stress is much lighter, I'm down about 10 pounds so the flexibility is decent, all in all I would highly recommend it if you do not already have a practice. In my opinion and it's just my opinion, I have not come across a better exercise for the aging body. Walking is still very good and so is swimming and biking but yoga hits all the spots and it's ability to help with flexibility is huge. There's almost no need to become stiff and rigid as we get older if we do yoga.

  At 7:40 a.m. E.T. futures are modestly lower and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open lower.

  The DOW is buoyant and at record highs right now and according to Dr.Doom AKA economist Nouriel Roubini, we can ride a stock bubble for a few years - Dr. Doom: Buy stocks while you still can. The pattern of first quarter corporate results and economic news continues with several companies reporting today along with data on housing and consumer confidence. How it will all end at the closing bell is today's surprise waiting to happen. Later in the week the Fed will announce more on it's monetary policy and that is a big deal.

CNN: Stocks: Starting at record levels
The Case-Shiller 20-city home-price index is due at 9 a.m. ET, while the Conference Board's monthly consumer confidence index will be released at 10 a.m. ET.

...quarterly results are due before the opening bell from Pfizer...

'Roxanne'

The Police

Monday, April 29, 2013

Good Night

The poor man just can't help himself.

Raw Story: Limbaugh agrees with listeners: Liberals kill in ‘mass numbers’ like jihadis

Clothing Factory Poverty

Guardian UK: Inside Bangladesh's garment factories: life and work in a dangerous industry - Gazi Nafis Ahmed's photographs of clothing factory workers in Bangladesh reveal some of the grinding poverty and ever-present dangers they face day after day

DOW Closes Higher

The DOW closed at 14,818.75 gaining 106.20 points.

CNN: S&P 500 closes at record high

Wrong Haircut

Guardian UK: Gaza police shaving heads of young men in crackdown on western fashion - At least 40 men in past month claim to have been bound, beaten and had their hair cut by Hamas officers, says rights group

Cash-Gate

NYT: With Bags of Cash, C.I.A. Seeks Influence in Afghanistan

DOW Higher At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 14,798.71 up 86.16 points.

CNN: Wall Street lifted by Italy, housing data

Jonathan Winters As Spring

Have A Good Morning

work by Doris Salcedo

The Onion - 3 Men Deported From Saudi Arabia For Being ‘Too Sexy’

The Onion: 3 Men Deported From Saudi Arabia For Being ‘Too Sexy’

Al Jazeera - Life In Spain's Slum Of Shame

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

Consumer Addiction

AlterNet: Slaves to Our Stuff: A Creative Vision to Break Away From Consumer Culture's Destructive Grip - Billy Talen, known as Reverend Billy, talks about his new book and says, "We need to be honest with ourselves about the danger we are all in with the natural world."

Guinea Pig

AlterNet: You Are a Guinea Pig: What Happens to Your Body As It's Bombarded by Toxic Chemicals in Your Home - Without our knowledge or consent, we are testing thousands of suspected toxic chemicals and compounds

The Market On Monday

  Good morning. It is 55 degrees and cloudy looking like rain here in Upstate NY. The weekend flew by, it's always too short. It's great seeing leaves begin to reappear, the trees have been naked for many months now. Perusing the news briefly we see that there was a large explosion in Prague injuring many people. This type of single contained disaster which injures or kills many seems to be reoccurring lately with bombs, or gas explosions, and then that huge building collapse. It's depressing, frustrating, and it saddens us - it reminds us to appreciate the times when we are safe and the world seems benign in our proximity.

  At 7:00 a.m. futures are moderately higher and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open mixed.

  Investors will continue to parse corporate first quarter results. Also they will be reviewing a host of economic data on consumer spending, housing, income, and such. This is related to Friday's GDP numbers. Also note that Italy has formed a new government and this is viewed positively by the investment class. It is being noted that we are already beginning to save less. It strikes me that this could occur for two reasons, everything is more expensive and there's not much money to go around, or we are desiring that which is beyond our means. When I go grocery shopping I am standing there with my mouth open gawking at the prices of food. When I place items on the checkout in order to get an idea of cost, I count each separate thing as $5 then subtract $10 from the total. It usually comes in close.

CNN: Stocks: Starting week on a high note
Consumer spending, which alone accounts for roughly two-thirds of GDP, rose at a 3.2% annual pace...

At 10:00, the National Association of Realtors will release data on pending home sales.

'Mr Sandman'

Joscho Stephan

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Abandonment

Guardian UK: Facebook deserted by millions of users in biggest markets - Facebook's dominance in the social media world has come under threat from newer services such as Instagram and Path

Good Night

The Knicks lost to the Celtics, but they were valiant in their defeat. Now I have to look forward to Wednesday night's game and root for the home team. See you in the a.m.

President Obama At 2013 White House Correspondents' Dinner

CNN - Correspondent's Dinner Excerpts

Have A Good Morning

work by Chagall

The Onion - Paul Ryan's Unsettling Budget Plan Reveals He Cuts His Own Hair


Paul Ryan's Unsettling Budget Plan Reveals He Cuts His Own Hair

Al Jazeera - Film Industry Thriving In New York Post 9/11

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

Huge Snails

These things can grow to the size of rats. Yes, it's a little unnerving to say the least. This is part of the invasive species problem that is occurring through cargo ships that travel worldwide.

Yahoo News: Florida battles slimy invasion by giant snails

Secrecy And Power

AlterNet: Bill Moyers & Glenn Greenwald on the High Cost of Government Secrecy - Columnist Glenn Greenwald explains what the Boston bombings and U.S. use of government power.

Sunday

Good morning. It is 46 degrees and sunny on this fine Sunday morning here in Upstate NY. I hope you are enjoying your weekend and getting to relax, reinvigorate, and float. We were out to dinner last night and I must say the food was excellent. I am looking forward to today's Knicks vs Celtics basketball game and for a fan like me, it doesn't get much better.

Briefly perusing the news I see that my fundamental criteria has been met, the world remains integral and basically intact although still a bit frayed. Obama's special dinner occurred last night and I have yet to hear the jokes. Right now, time to head out for a run.

'White Lightning'

George Jones

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Good Night

Lovely day here as local residents can attest. I was out much of the afternoon, enjoying the countryside as it were. See you bright and early on Sunday morning. Meanwhile check out this article that's making the web rounds and has piqued everybody's interest.

Guardian UK: Big brains, no fur, sinuses … are these clues to our ancestors' lives as 'aquatic apes'? - Controversial theory that seeks to explain one of the great leaps of human evolution finds new support but still divides scientists

Maddow - Fringe Right Wing Money Making Machine

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

Have A Good Morning

work by David Alfaro Siqueiros

The Onion - The Week In Review


All Of Nation's Living Presidents Gather To Lie About Bush Presidency

Al Jazeera - Floods Destroy Valuable Crop Land In US

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

Resolve It

AlterNet: 9 Burning, Unresolved Questions About the Boston Bombings

Con Job

AlterNet: How We Ended Up with the Worst Congress Money Can Buy - Failed gun control legislation and a fertilizer plant explosion reveal how poisoned by big money our government is.

Saturday

  Good morning. It is 41 degrees with some sunshine here in Upstate New York on this fine Saturday morning. It's nice seeing the beginnings of leaves on all the various trees including the large oak sitting in my front yard. I am pleased as my New York Knicks won their third playoff game in a row last night against the Boston Celtics. One more win and the Knicks can advance. Basketball is an ideal sport.

  The most egregious news article of the week in my opinion was the one describing $100,000 per year cancer drugs. People are literally extorted to pay that huge sum of money in order to live. Exactly how creepy is that and it's common. Now I was aware that drugs to treat cancer were costly but this is shocking, this is loathsome. It is beyond obvious that this is extortion as well, that's what a fresh take on something can offer. You don't have to look much further to understand why the weight of medical insurance or lack thereof is burdening the country's economic viability. Our priorities are so screwy, we place material above life every time. The system is designed and rigged for this pattern to repeat until it literally eats itself. We live in an Ouroborus lock down economy.

'Great Day'

Paul McCartney

Friday, April 26, 2013

'Into Darkness'

New Star Trek movie trailer

Good Night

2.5%

Guardian UK: US economic growth quickens but misses forecasts as cuts kick in - GDP grew at 2.5% in first quarter as consumer spending increased, but government cuts continue to hold back recovery

DOW Closes Higher

The DOW closed at 14,712.55 gaining 11.75 points.

CNN: Doctors blast ethics of $100,000 cancer drugs

The Daily Show - Library Accomplished

Maddow - Sarin

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

DOW Flat At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 14,698.88 down 1.92 points.

CNN: Stocks stalled by lackluster economic growth

Have A Good Morning

work by Mary Callery

The Onion - Obama Orders Reinvasion Of Iraq After Illuminating Trip Through Bush Presidential Library

The Onion: Obama Orders Reinvasion Of Iraq After Illuminating Trip Through Bush Presidential Library

Al Jazeera - 'Naughty Radio' Makes Waves In Malaysia

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

Global Warming - James Hanson On Our Looming Catastrophe

AlterNet: James Hansen: The One Thing We Should Be Doing to Prevent Catastrophic Climate Change - The country's leading climatologist talks about what our future looks like if we continue along with business as usual -- and what we could do to prevent catastrophe.

Legally Drugged For Profit

AlterNet: 6 New Ways Big Pharma Is Scheming to Make Billions at the Expense of Your Health - With many of Big Pharma's biggest hits going off patent, the industry is looking for new ways to deliver earnings to Wall Street.

The Market On Friday

  Good morning and welcome to the weekend. At 7 a.m. E.T. Friday it is 38 degrees with some sunshine and some clouds. I hope you got a chance to see last night's Pink Moon. “This name came from the herb moss pink, or wild ground phlox, which is one of the earliest widespread flowers of the spring..." I was up around 3 a.m. and looked out onto the backyard to see everything brightly lit by a huge full moon. It was downright sunny out except it wasn't, it was moon-y. The moon was powerful mojo last night, one wonders if it had an effect on the collective global psyche.

  At 7:05 a.m. E.T. futures are moderately down and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open lower except...

  At 8:30 a.m. E.T. the first estimate of the USA's first quarter GDP is released. Talk about a big deal, holy crapola. It is suggested that there will be an improvement over the previous quarter's almost zilch figure of 0.4% growth. Regardless, a strong number will literally send the world's economic hope into squeals of joy while a bad number will send everything back to the drawing board and one might assume but not necessarily predict that the market will respond in kind. Long story short, the market's opening number will depend on the GDP number. Expect to hear the number talked about all day long with the beyond strong possibility that it also becomes a political medicine ball. Enough said.

CNN: Stocks: Caution ahead of GDP release
...the Bureau of Economic Analysis' first estimate of first-quarter GDP due for release at 8:30 a.m. ET.

'I Ain't Superstitious'

Jeff Beck

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Pema And Obama

Good Night

Guardian UK: Obama campaign launches plan to shame climate skeptics in Congress - Campaign group Organizing for Action says it is time to call out US politicians who deny the science behind climate change

Reuters - Billion Euro Project To Recreate The Human Brain Gets Underway

More Or Less

Reuters: Bush family at odds over possible Jeb Bush presidential run

NYC On Wish List

Reuters: Boston bomb suspects also wanted to attack New York: officials

DOW Closes Higher

The DOW closed at 14,700.80 gaining 24.50 points.

Reuters: Stocks gain on earnings, U.S. data, bonds fall

Maddow - Crackpot Right Wing Conspiracies

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

The Daily Show - Weak Constitution

DOW Higher At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 14,742.42 up 66.12 points.

CNN: 15-year mortgage rate hits record low

Have A Good Morning

work by George W Bush

The Onion - High School Students Line Up For School Oil Portrait Day

The Onion: High School Students Line Up For School Oil Portrait Day

Al Jazeera - US Home-Schooling Shows Impressive Results

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

Global Warming - Do Nothing

globalwarming.org: Why Is Congress Lethargic about Energy?

America's Artist

As I post this article I am listening to Laura Bush talk on NPR about GW Bush's new found interest in art and painting. If only he became an artist long ago, instead of a politician.

AlterNet: 50 Reasons You Despised George W. Bush's Presidency: A Reminder on the Day of His Presidential Library Dedication - He's one of the worst presidents ever.

The Market On Thursday

  Good morning. It is 41 degrees and mostly sunny this morning here in Upstate NY. We hit the 70 degree mark yesterday and everybody appreciated the physical freedom warmer temperatures bring. It's been a very long winter here. I perused the news on TV last night and it is as you know dominated by the Boston bombing. It's about where did they learn how make bombs, what the parents think, what the right thinks, what the charges imply, reopening the scenes of the atrocities to visitors, shrines and rally for the victims, how the victims are recovering, and more. The Knicks will play the Boston Celtics in Boston this Friday. It will be the first time the Celtics have played in Boston since the bombing. People are expecting an outpouring of emotion as the people of Boston rally around their team. The bombing has accentuated a sense of pride for the people of Boston. That is the upside.

  At 7:40 a.m. E.T. futures are modestly higher, the price of oil per barrel is up, and the dollar is down. The market is poised to open higher.

  The morning's investment reports are brief. The day is once again expected to be about corporate first quarter results. As the DOW remains above 14,500 we are still in a period of amazing fluidity in the stock market.

CNN: Stocks: Bracing for more earnings
...earnings took center stage.

'Loser'

Beck

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Good Night

CS Monitor: Why trial for Boston bomb suspect could be at least a year away - Both sides in the case of alleged Boston bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev will be scouring thousands of FBI interviews and other evidence. Also, the Justice Department will undertake a lengthy process to decide if it will seek the death penalty.

Big Trouble

Guardian UK: US government sues Lance Armstrong - Justice department seeks to recoup US Postal Service sponsorship millions from Tour de France doping cheat

DOW Closes Lower

The DOW closed at 14,676.30 dropping 43.16 points.

CNN: Meet your new $100 bill

The Daily Show - Insider House Rules

Maddow - Online Bomb Recipes Complicate

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 14,696.99 down 22.47 points.

CNN: Falling gas prices could boost economy

Have A Good Morning

work by Earl Kerkam

The Onion - Report: Majority Of Americans Now Answering To Name 'Lardface'

The Onion: Report: Majority Of Americans Now Answering To Name 'Lardface'

Al Jazeera - France Parliament Adopts Gay Marriage Law

Al Jazeera - Canada Train Plot Suspects Appear In Court

Global Warming - It's Speeding Up Not Slowing Down

Guardian UK: Why is Reuters puzzled by global warming's acceleration? - 'Climate scientists struggle to explain warming slowdown,' said Reuters. But warming is speeding up, and scientists can explain it

Kicks

AlterNet: The 10 Hardest Drugs to Kick - Drug and alcohol use spikes wildly during the 30-day run-up to New Year's Eve. But which drugs are actually most addictive? The answers may surprise you.

The Market On Wednesday

  Good morning. It is 35 degrees and sunny here in Upstate NY. The forecast is predicting we go into the 70s later today. We've had cool nights and we suspect that may not last too much longer, the warmth is just around the corner. The Boston Bombing calamity is sounding more and more fishy to me. I still don't get it. Yes these two did the twisted act but on the other hand the response was not proportional. They lock down a city? They bring in thousands of law enforcement and the military? What is up with that. Every time there is a calamity it seems that the government wants to test out some intense idea just to see if it works. These calamities provide an opportunity for the government to do this stuff unchecked. That is fishy. Also the notion that they did this bombing because of Iraq and Afghanistan, what is up with that? That does not make any sense either given that these two were reasonably integrated into American life.

  At 7:40 a.m. E.T. futures are modestly higher an the price of oil per barrel is higher. The market is poised to open higher.

  In case you didn't know there was a mini crash of the stock market on Tuesday as false reports of an explosion at the White House sent investors into rapidly selling off equities. So much for Twitter and our new dependence on that "social media" brand as the new source of all that is true and good in the world. One always wishes that calmer minds will prevail and that lessons on little things like accurate verification might make their way back into the official news of the land. Otherwise investors seem to be pleased with first quarter corporate results as the market has risen again. Those reports remain in focus today.

CNN: Stocks: Earnings still pouring in
Earnings will remain in focus Wednesday...

European markets rose in morning trading...

Asian markets ended higher...

'Tango'

The music of Astor Piazzolla

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Good Night

Library? Library? Really? I can see naming a bicycle after him or a house of horrors and torture, but please not a library...

WaPo: As Bush library opening puts his presidency back in the spotlight, his approval rating is up

Right

The ultra right is going berserk after the Boston Bombing. Just look at this trio of headlines. There isn't a kernel of wisdom in the lot. They are screaming themselves inside out.

Raw Story: New Hampshire Republican says Boston bombing was government conspiracy

Raw Story: Coulter: Boston suspect’s widow ‘ought to be in prison for wearing a hijab’

Raw Story: Republican trio push to militarize U.S. response to domestic terrorism

DOW Closes Higher

The DOW closed at 14,719.46 gaining 152.29 points.

CNN: Apple profit slips 18%, but investors cheer dividend increase

The Daily Show - Arrest Development

Maddow - Motive Is Often Meaningless

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

DOW Higher At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 14,711.51 up 144.34 points.

CNN: Stocks up as earnings trump economic weakness

Have A Good Morning

work by Joseph Cornell

The Onion - There Are People In World Who Are Concerned About Current State Of Hip-Hop


There Are People In World Who Are Concerned About Current State Of Hip-Hop

Al Jazeera - One-Way Ticket To Mars

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

Global Warming - A Report Card

CS Monitor: On Earth Day 2013, a planetary report card on global warming - Planetary carbon dioxide concentrations are the highest they've been in the past 800,000 years, an ignominious milestone for Earth Day 2013. Still, the world is making some progress toward addressing global warming.

Violence Versus Terrorism

AlterNet: America's Focus on Terrorism Blinds Us To Everyday Violence and Suffering - There’s something amiss about disregarding everyday violence, just because it’s the rule and not the exception.

The Market On Tuesday

  Good morning. It is 31 degrees and sunny here in Upstate NY. We are seeing more and more signs of plant life, as the lawns are greening up and the tree buds are swelling. The crab apple tree in the front yard has tiny green leaves, we're getting there slowly but surely.

  At 7:35 a.m. E.T. futures are modestly higher and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open in the mixed area.

  Investors are mulling over bad economic data out of both China and Germany. Germany is the eurozone's largest economy and this only means more economic woe for Europe which as we know continues to have periodic major upheaval. After today's close Apple will be presenting its first quarter report. As the major tech leader this is a big deal, Apple has seen a slight reversal of fortune in recent months and this report is highly anticipated.

CNN: Global growth worries may depress stocks
Weak data on manufacturing in China...A slowdown in private sector output in Germany...

At 10 a.m. ET, the Census Bureau will publish data on new-home sales.

Pema On Chaos

Shambhala Sun: Three Methods for Working with Chaos By Pema Chödrön

'Djangology'

Gonzalo Bergara

Monday, April 22, 2013

Good Night

Richie Havens Dies

FOX: Richie Havens dead; Folk musician was 72

And Predictably

Raw Story: Ingraham pushes for an end to all Muslim immigration

Terror Plot

CNN: Canadian police: 2 arrested in al Qaeda-supported terror plot

DOW Closes Higher

The DOW closed at 14,567.17 gaining 19.66 points.

Reuters: Wall Street ends up, buoyed by Microsoft, Caterpillar

Go J.R.

Knicks fans are very pleased to see J.R. win this award. If you enjoy New York basketball which I do with a passion, this is a really cool thing.

Yahoo: J.R. Smith wins NBA sixth man

Chomsky On Housing And OWS

libcom.org: Direct action, Occupy Wallstreet, and the future of housing justice: an interview with Noam Chomsky

No Frills

Gulf News: ‘No frills’ India hospitals offer $800 heart surgery - Air-conditioning is restricted to operating theatres and intensive care units

DOW Lower At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 14,493.18 down 54.33 points.

CNN: Investors disappointed by housing report

Have A Good Morning

work by Mordecai Moreh

The Onion - Man Purchasing Pair Of Red Pants Better Be Ready To Put Up Or Shut Up

The Onion: Man Purchasing Pair Of Red Pants Better Be Ready To Put Up Or Shut Up

Al Jazeera - UK Floats Harpoon Solution To 'Space Junk'

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

Global Warming - Resource Scarcity, Extreme Temperatures, Earth Day

AlterNet: Resource Shock: How Resource Scarcity and Climate Change Could Produce a Global Explosion - Whether you know it or not, you’re on a new planet, a resource-shock world of a sort humanity has never before experienced.

AlterNet: What Will Inspire You to Take Action? 5 Earth Day Photos You Should See - What will it take before we have a critical mass to move us toward a sustainable future?

Fear And Violence

AlterNet: Could Our Deepest Fears Hold the Key to Ending Violence? - Feelings of fear and powerlessness are driving the cycle of violence that surrounds us. To change that, we need to recognize that we need each other to thrive as individuals.

The Market On Monday

  Good morning. It is 31 degrees and the Sun looks like it really wants to come out here in Upstate NY. I hope you had a good weekend. I would describe mine as typical with grocery shopping, errands, relaxation, watching the Knicks and such. I think the big question on people's minds is will this week take on the qualities of the last, will this week be as off the wall as last. I'm betting no. I have no particular insight but I'm thinking society has gotten something out of its collective system and now peace can prevail. Alright, maybe not peace, but perhaps a temporary truce can exist.

  At 7:40 a.m. E.T. futures are moderately higher and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open higher.

  After a turbulent week in the stock market paralleling the week in the news, investors will once again be parsing first quarter corporate results for signs that the corporate economy is excelling. After today's close bellwether Caterpillar will present it's first quarter results. As Caterpillar is all about the global construction business, their results are especially important to gauging how the world economy is moving. In short, it's a very salient report for investors and we will be hearing about it in the news.

CNN: Stocks: More earnings in the mix
Caterpillar, in particular, is considered a bellwether for the global economy...

Japan's Nikkei rose 1.9%...

'Clair De Lune'

Fapy Lafertin and Paulus Schäfer

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Good Night

Here's to a better week than last.

Guardian UK: Guantánamo hunger strikers make up half of inmate population, officials say - Eighty-four of the 166 remaining detainees are on hunger strike, a figure almost double the number previously released

116

Reuters: World's oldest person celebrates his 116th birthday in Japan

'26 Out Of 29, Behind Greece And Just Above Lithuania'

ZNET: Child Poverty In US Among The Highest In Developed World

Updated

Guardian UK: FBI accused of 'dropping the ball' on prior questioning of Tamerlan Tsarnaev - Members of Congress ask why no flags were raised after FBI was asked to interview elder Tsarnaev brother in 2011

Have A Good Morning

work by Basquiat

The Onion - Corrugated-Cardboard Lobby Once Again Rates All 535 Congressmen ‘Poor’ On Corrugated-Cardboard-Related Issues

The Onion: Corrugated-Cardboard Lobby Once Again Rates All 535 Congressmen ‘Poor’ On Corrugated-Cardboard-Related Issues

Al Jazeera - Family In Dagestan Defends Boston Suspects

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

Earth Day Celebration

San Francisco Chronicle: SF marks Earth Day in do-it-yourself style

Assist

AlterNet: The Boston Bomber Brothers Got the Attention They Wanted - The suspects were nobodies who wanted to spread fear. A citywide lockdown and media hysteria helped them do that.

Sunday

Good morning. It is 33 degrees and magnificently sunny here in Upstate NY. I'm going to wait for the temperature to get a little warmer then I will head out for a slow long jog through the mean suburban streets. I had one of those epic involving dreams last night so vivid that when I woke up I felt disoriented. The residue is a lot of energy, the Spring makes you want to get busy.

As we know it's been a wild week. The articles are coming in that attempt to open up some space surrounding the events of the Boston Bombing with the desire to shed light on our collective involvement in that calamity. As I perused my Facebook page a little while ago, several friends had posted articles on this topic all of which I am posting here.

First, from The New Yorker: Terrorist Hunt Sends America Over the Edge
Whenever the word “terrorist” is mentioned in this country, reason tends to go out the window, and many other things go with it, too, such as intellectual consistency, a respect for civil liberties, and a sense of proportion.
Then there's an article from Slate on our obsession with following breaking news, it's a guide to following it all: Breaking News Is Broken - Don’t watch cable news. Shut off Twitter. You’d be better off cleaning your gutters.
Breaking news is broken. That’s the clearest lesson you can draw about the media from the last week, when both old- and new-media outlets fell down on the job. By now you’ve likely heard the lowlights. CNN and the AP incorrectly reported on Wednesday that a Boston Marathon suspect had been arrested. People on Reddit and editors at the New York Post wrongly fingered innocent kids as bombing suspects. Redditors also pushed the theory that a Brown University student who has been missing for more than a month was one of the bombers—a story that gained steam on Twitter Thursday when people listening to police scanners heard the cops repeat the student’s name.
Then someone posted this very curious article which claims that the incident was a hoax, staged, and that some of the goriest pictures were the work of actors. I would put a disclaimer here in that this is not my belief - the suffering in Boston was extreme. The writer attempts to break down the goriest images and discuss them from his perspective as an EMT worker in Oregon. If you want to go the "conspiracy" route, this is for you - Are You Just A Believer Or Do You THINK?

'The Sheik Of Araby'

Django Reinhardt

Saturday, April 20, 2013

Good Night

Guardian UK: Boston bombing suspect under FBI surveillance for years, says mother - 'They told me my son was an extremist leader,' says Zubeidat Tsarnaeva

Fratricide

Slate: Boston Bombing Suspect Dzhokar Tsarnaev May Have Killed His Brother

Maddow - Miranda Rights

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

Have A Good Morning

work by Francesco Clemente

The Onion - Study: Majority Of Americans Not Informed Enough To Stereotype Chechens

The Onion: Study: Majority Of Americans Not Informed Enough To Stereotype Chechens

Al Jazeera - Firms Enjoy Tax Haven In Bankrupt Ireland

The embedding for this clip seems a little off, but it's there.

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

Global Warming - Rising Sea Levels And Coastal Cities

HuffPo: Coastal Cities Confront Global Warming-Induced Sea Level Rise

Not Shining

AlterNet: How Absurd: 8 Crazy Reactions, Ridiculous Conclusions, and Dumb Media Behavior Coming out of the Boston Bombings - Not a shining moment.
4. Meanwhile, the security state missed suspect No. 1. The FBI said Friday that they had interviewed Boston Marathon bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev in 2011, after a foreign government alerted officials of possible extremist ties. Federal officials told CBS News that they vetted the Chechen refugee but found no incriminating information.

Then there was news that a man in Bronx, N.Y., who was born in Bangladesh was beaten up for supposedly being " a f*cking Arab" by a group of men who wanted retribution for the marathon bombing.

Saturday

  Good morning. It is 43 degrees and overcast here in Upstate NY. The temperature hit 70 yesterday and that has spurred on a lot of early Spring plant growth. The forsythias are out, magnolias, dogwoods, all sorts of early spring flowers, and the tree buds are swollen. It will be good to see leaves on trees and the bareness covered.

  What a week it's been. Recapping is not necessary as we are all too aware of the various messes and tragedies. We presume that the police have apprehended the remaining person responsible for the Boston Marathon bombing. I found myself somewhat taken aback by the medias intense coverage of the pursuit. It's all so very tragic in many directions and ways as we sit back and cheer on law enforcement from our remote homes throughout the world. It's a media phenomena that we might want to examine and reflect upon and this has nothing to do with the presumptions of guilt or the intensity of the violent act along with its many victims. It's a little creepy, a little bit verging on a type of mass hysteria and we play right along. I am reminded of Reagan's planned attack on Libya which occurred right after the nightly news TV programming. It was a made for TV viewing war. We are now used to this type of programming so to speak and with gains there are always losses. I'm not sure we know what we have lost as participants, I'm not sure what we have gained either.

'Libertango'

Richard Galliano