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Friday, May 31, 2013

Good Night

'Jonah'

JONAH from Factory Fifteen on Vimeo.

93 Degrees

We are in the 90s today, the humidity is strong, it's hot. June is arriving with a heat wave.

1998 QE2

Mirror UK: Asteroid 1998 QE2: Watch as space rock nine times bigger than the QE2 flies past Earth

Suspect

Reuters: Texas man investigated over ricin letters to Obama, Bloomberg

DOW Closes Lower

The DOW closed at 15,115.57 dropping 208.96 points.

CNN: Stocks end strong May with sell-off

'Building A Vertical Pallet Garden'

'Epic Church-State Breakup'

Maddow - Political Threats

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 15,359.55 up 35.02 points.

CNN: Stocks: Let's hear it for May!

Fundamentalism

Raw Story: Leading neuroscientist: Religious fundamentalism may be a ‘mental illness’ that can be ‘cured’

Divestment

Nicely done article on divesting using the example of divestment from companies that did business with South Africa in the 70s and 80s. As I suspected those shares were merely bought up by individuals who could care less, however it did have a political impact. There is something to it.

Harvard University Institute Of Politics: Does Divestment Work?
The evidence from South Africa suggests that divestment, while ineffective in a financial sense, can have an impact by shaping public discourse.

(Regarding Harvard divesting from oil companies) Divestment from select fossil fuel producers would send a powerful message to the energy industry and the nation. It would signal that America’s universities take the climate-energy challenge seriously.

Have A Good Morning

Musical instruments made from guns by anti-violence artist Pedro Reyes



The Onion - After Careful Deliberation, Baby Goes With Homosexuality

The Onion: After Careful Deliberation, Baby Goes With Homosexuality

Al Jazeera - 'Half A Million' Rely On UK Food Banks

One British food bank saw a 170% increase in traffic in the last 12 months. We are seeing a rising tide of people who do not have food throughout the "developed" world. Right now if you are eating regularly, you're in better shape than many if not most.

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

Global Warming - Switzerland’s Glaciers Shrink

NYT: As Glaciers Melt, Alpine Mountains Lose Their Glue, Threatening Swiss Village

Your Corporate Spy

AlterNet: Corporations and Law Enforcement Are Spying on Environmentalists - It's likely that some of the $38 billion US intelligence spends on private contractors annually is used to spy on American citizens.

The Market On Friday

  Good morning and welcome to the weekend. At 7:00 a.m. ET it is 64 degrees and foggy here in Upstate NY. The temperature is expected to hit 90 by mid afternoon, mix in the high humidity and it will be uncomfortably hot. It's lush and green here at this point on the last day of May, the vegetation is loving the mix of heat and rain. The new dog nudged me out of bed at 6 a.m. needing to do her business. I'm glad she does this, it strikes me as an intelligent approach with the alternative not being desirable at all.

  At 7:05 a.m. ET futures are moderately down and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open lower with some energy stocks possibly lifting.

  Futures are down following the trend in European and Asian markets which are also down. The state of the eurozone remains bad, unemployment is significantly down and weak in many many countries. The sense is that the market is in a one day it's good one day it's bad flip flop mood but that the correction is not quite here yet.

Reuters: Euro shares slide, dollar climbs off three-week low
Euro zone inflation ticked up to 1.4 percent in May from 1.2 percent in April...
CNN: Stocks: Losing some momentum
... awaiting a handful of new economic reports, including data on personal income and spending due from the Commerce Department at 8:30 a.m. ET.

'Terrible Love'

The National

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Good Night

'Walk On Water'

Walk on Water from NRS Films on Vimeo.

To Mars With Radiation

Guardian UK: Nasa: Mars mission astronauts face radiation risk Nasa estimate of radiation exposure is based on a round trip and excludes time spent on the surface of Mars

DOW Closes Higher

The DOW closed at 15,324.53 gaining 21.73 points.

CNN: Sellers calling the shots on home deals

Bachmann Revealed

Raw Story: Translating Michele Bachmann’s Resignation Speech

Maddow - James Comey

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 15,367.00 up 64.20 points.

CNN: Mortgage rates are highest in a year

Have A Good Morning

work by Cornelia Konrads



The Onion - Michele Bachmann: ‘God Wants Me To Earn 7 Figures For A Lobbying Firm’

The Onion: Michele Bachmann: ‘God Wants Me To Earn 7 Figures For A Lobbying Firm’

Al Jazeera - Bourbon Whiskey Running Low

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

The New Housing Bubble

CS Monitor: Home prices up 10 percent: How strong is this year’s US housing market? Sales volume is rising, and the inventory of homes in foreclosure is down almost 25 percent from a year ago. Here’s some more context to put the recent trends in home prices in perspective.

Global Warming - Oceans

US News: Is More Global Warming Hiding in the Oceans?

The Dream Is Over

AlterNet: Want the American Dream? Get Rich Parents or Move to Canada - In a tough economy with dwindling social supports, children of privilege have a bigger head start than ever.

The Market On Thursday

  Good morning. It is 63 degrees and cloudy with drying streets here in Upstate NY at 7:30 a.m. ET. We had a pretty good rain storm late yesterday afternoon and into the evening. The new dog was terrified of the thunder but she actually was better than in previous storms. Maybe the 'Rescue Remedy' is helping her. This morning she's as good as ever. Dogs are amazingly resilient creatures and this is one of the interesting qualities that you get to share in when you have a dog. Dogs don't really dwell on their suffering beyond an initial experience of it, they move towards "normal" really fast.

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

  Japan's stock market has entered into a correction after rising nearly 70% in this year. I would suspect the bigger news of the morning will be the government's release of its second reading of the first quarter GDP. That's a big deal. In addition weekly first time layoff numbers come through at 8:30 a.m. ET.

CNN: U.S. stocks set to shrug off Japan drop
Japan's benchmark Nikkei index took a 5.2% plunge Thursday.

'Analyse'

The Cranberries

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Good Night

The thunder storms are just about here, we can hear the booms in the distance. Everything is looking deep green outside. We got the candles ready just in case power goes out. The new dog is already hunkered down in the bathroom, she is so terrified of loud sounds. I will see you on the other side of the storm bright and early tomorrow morning.

DOW Closes Lower

The DOW closed at 15,302.80 dropping 106.59 points.

CNN: Stocks slump as bond yields rise

Not Soon Enough

WaPo: Minn. Rep. Michele Bachmann says she won’t run for re-election in 2014

Maddow - GOP Leaving Moderate Republicans Behind

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 15,277.97 down 131.42 points.

CNN: Stocks slump as bond yields rise

Pema Chodron's Weekly Advice

There is a story of a woman running away from tigers. She runs and runs, and the tigers are getting closer and closer. When she comes to the edge of a cliff, she sees some vines there, so she climbs down and holds on to the vines. Looking down, she sees that there are tigers below her as well. She then notices that a mouse is gnawing away at the vine to which she is clinging. She also sees a beautiful little bunch of strawberries close to her, growing out of a clump of grass. She looks up and she looks down. She looks at the mouse. Then she just takes a strawberry, puts it in her mouth, and enjoys it thoroughly.

Tigers above, tigers below. This is actually the predicament that we are always in, in terms of our birth and death. Each moment is just what it is. It might be the only moment of our life, it might be the only strawberry we’ll ever eat. We could get depressed about it, or we could finally appreciate it and delight in the preciousness of every single moment of our life.

Have A Good Morning

work by Cornelia Konrads

The Onion - New Obesity Drug Delicious

The Onion: New Obesity Drug Delicious

Al Jazeera - App Gives Disabled Man Power Of Speech

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

Global Warming - Cherry Picked Scientific Denialism

Guardian UK: 97% global warming consensus meets resistance from scientific denialism - The robust climate consensus faces resistance from conspiracy theories, cherry picking, and misrepresentations

Obese At Birth

Here is the problem. The food we eat is pure crap and causes obesity. Humans were not designed to eat white flour mixed with sugar and preservatives all day long, every day. You want to be thin, here's the trick - never ever ever eat white sugar in any food, anyway, and then do not eat flours of any kind - white, corn, whole wheat, etc. Maybe use buckwheat flour because buckwheat is basically an herb. So this means no - donuts, bread, bagels, twinkies, cakes, pies, cupcakes, fried chicken (which is covered in flour), cookies, crappy cereals etc. What all diets that attempt to bring the human body into better conditioning agree on is this simple fact. We are designed to eat vegetables and fruits. Beyond that it's all about moderation of consumption. Being obese is not human evolution. It's the human body reacting to our disinterest in cooking decent food in favor of eating quick fast, and yes tasty, food that is basically making us sick and fat.

AlterNet: Obese From the Womb? The Shocking New Trend in America’s Weight Epidemic - A mother's weight and diet can have a major impact on obesity risks.

The Market On Wednesday

  Good morning. It is 59 degrees and overcast at 7:30 a.m. here in Upstate NY. Rain is predicted. I must say I was taken back by the morning's headline on CNN with the threat to the world virus - MERS-CoV. I'm turning 60 this year and I must say the world is in tough shape. Maybe it is better than when I was a kid but even then it was all about the threat of a nuclear war that would wipe out everything. I guess the wipe out everything meme is always there in human civilization, now it's a virus along with global warming plus there's still plenty of nuclear weapons to go around. Children no longer have to "duck and cover", the ridiculous and useless remedy for a nuclear explosion practiced by my generation of kids in schools. Now these poor kids have to be concerned about school shootings and a level of violence that is off the chart. No doubt there is an even worse level, I just don't want to go there mentally, but this virus has my attention.

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

  After a ripping day of gains on Tuesday fueled by an inflating housing market plus increased consumer sentiment ( my favorite metric) the market was fired up. Not today, that housing/sentiment stuff is so Tuesday. Today China has been nipped in the bud as the IMF predicts lowered growth for the world's manufacturing center. I say good, as I'm convinced that an economic system that wants continuous growth is anathema to a liveable planet, I say let it be. If China never manufactured one more damn thing, that's fine.

CNN: Stocks: Bumpy ride ahead
Overseas, the International Monetary Fund cut the growth forecast for China, the world's No. 2 economy.

The S&P/Case-Shiller Index showed Tuesday that housing prices rose 10.2% during the first quarter, the biggest increase since 2007.

Attention

The headline reads - new virus is threat to the world - this is serious. The disease has affected people in the Middle East but one person died from it in France. Yesterday we were reading about a strain of bird flu in China that does not respond to antibiotics.

CNN: Newly discovered virus takes more lives, spreads
...Middle East respiratory symptom coronavirus, or MERS-CoV.

It acts like a cold virus and attacks the respiratory system, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said. But symptoms, which include fever and a cough, are severe and can lead to pneumonia and kidney failure.

'End Of A Love Affair'

Wes Montgomery

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Good Night

Vimeo: Tsoknyi Rinpoche: Healing our Trauma and Stress

Brotherly Love

Obama has found the one Republican who will not turn his back on him publicly.

Guardian UK: Obama rejoins Christie to tour Sandy recovery: 'The Jersey shore is back' - President returns to one of the areas hardest-hit by the October storm to help boost summer tourism across New Jersey

DOW Closes Higher

The DOW closed at 15,409.39 gaining 106.29 points.

CNN: Super Tuesday: Dow closes at record high

Inside A Tornado

Google image the term "tornado intercept vehicle"

Newest Bird Flu Drug Resistant

BBC: H7N9 bird flu drug resistance concern

Good Drones

Guardian UK: 'Drones are changing the face of conservation' - The use of 'eye in the sky' drones has become a cost-effective way for conservationists to track suspected illegal activity

The Daily Show - On Topic - Adulthood - Sex

DOW Higher At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 15,451.04 up 147.94 points.

CNN: Home prices post strongest gains in 7 years

Have A Good Morning

work by Cornelia Konrads

The Onion - Report: Texting While Driving Okay If You Look Up Every Couple Seconds

The Onion: Report: Texting While Driving Okay If You Look Up Every Couple Seconds

Al Jazeera - New York City Rolls Out Bike Scheme

Al Jazeera - The Main Headines

Global Warming - Arctic Ice

Slate: The Arctic Ice “Death Spiral”

The 2013 Farm Bill

AlterNet: 9 Things You Should Know About the New Farm Bill - The House and Senate will vote soon on the new bills -- but there are important differences.

The Market On Tuesday

  Good morning. It is a cool 48 degrees and cloudy with some sun peaking through at 7:45 a.m. here in Upstate NY. I hope you had a good holiday weekend. We did. I'm back to work on this old house spending a few hours each day on remodeling. Right now the guest room needs a severe makeover, so I'm prepping walls with light spackle, sanding, and getting ready to paint. Outside we are working on the garden, we're a little bit behind but by this coming weekend it ought to be in decent shape. An old house is an endless project, hopefully we can maintain endless energy to meet that challenge for a little longer.

  At 7:47 a.m. ET futures are significantly higher and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open higher.

  A global rally prompted by statements out of Japan on rates has helped to lift global indexes and we are experiencing that lift this morning in pre-market data. It will be a four day week for investors and they will be parsing all types of data on the economy including another reading of the first quarter GDP. Fears of a pullback are on hold for the morning.

CNN: Stocks: Poised to resume rally
...the Case-Shiller home-price index is due at 9 a.m. ET, and the Conference Board's consumer confidence index will come out at 10 a.m. ET.

'Don't Swallow The Cap'

The National

Monday, May 27, 2013

Krugman On Obamacare

NYT: The Obamacare Shock

Good Night

Guardian UK: Millions march against GM crops - Organizers celebrate huge global turnout and say they will continue until Monsanto and other GM manufacturers listen

Sorrow And Joy

Sorrow prepares you for joy. It violently sweeps everything out of your house, so that new joy can find space to enter. It shakes the yellow leaves from the boughs of your heart, so that fresh, green leaves can grow in their place. It pulls up the rotten roots, so that new roots hidden beneath have room to grow. Whatever sorrow shakes from your heart, far better things will take their place. - Rumi

Mission Accomplished

Reuters: Wave of Baghdad bombings kills more than 50: police

Back To Bike



They are buying more bikes than cars. Fantastic!

Raw Story: Cash-strapped Italians abandoning autos for bicycles

Have A Good Morning

Ries Niemi's Giant Blue Dress is made from recycled blue plastic tarp.

The Onion - 3-Day Weekend Practically Already Over

The Onion: 3-Day Weekend Practically Already Over

Al Jazeera - US Tornado Victims Given Hope Of Renewal

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

Global Warming - FAQ

I am a big fan of the Guardian. They do a really good jobs with the news in general and their articles on Global Warming are informative and frequent. They get it, they know what we are truly facing.

Guardian UK: Everything you need to know about climate change - interactive - Our one-stop guide to the facts of global warming, from the science and politics to economics and technology, drawn from our ultimate climate change FAQ.

Rising Poverty

Welcome to the new America -

AltrNet: The Real Numbers: Half of America in Poverty -- and It's Creeping toward 75% - The Census Bureau has reported that one out of six Americans lives in poverty. A shocking figure. But it's actually much, much worse.

Memorial Day

  Good morning. At 8 a.m. on Memorial Day it is 48 degrees and very sunny. Last night the temperature dipped into the 30s yet the forecast has it going into the 90s by the end of the week. That, is a swing. I hope you are enjoying the holiday celebrated for our soldiers who in my mind exhibit a level of bravery that is extraordinary. Our hats off to all of them and we hope our government can do a little bit better in terms of getting vets the medical treatment and support that any one vet needs. Right now the government is getting low marks in that area.

  Wall Street is closed today. Wall Street watchers like myself are wondering where everything is headed with the indexes at or near all time record highs. Many of us are expecting a reversal sooner than later. There are even a set of people speculating that the DOW has a lot more room to grow. As always it's very easy to find experts who will predict a financial meltdown or amazing levels of growth in the market literally at any point, day, or time. Today for example, European markets are on the rise, go figure.

  I will be working today both outside the house and later today on this old house. I am re-inspired to get back to work on this old house after a very blue and lengthy winter took away my mojo for such endeavors. I'm doing a lot of guitar playing lately in preparation for some dates with my ensemble. Yoga has truly helped with my conditioning for music. I can't explain it but the sense of flow is good possibly better than ever.

  I hope you enjoy the holiday and thank you for supporting the sight.

CBS News: Memorial Day: An evolved observance of America's fallen heroes

'The A Team'

Ed Sheeran

Sunday, May 26, 2013

A Brief History Of The Pauls

January 19, 2010 - InfoWars: Ron Paul: Use Geithner to Impeach Obama

October 3, 2011 - The Hill: Rep. Ron Paul sees Awlaki killing as 'possible' impeachable offense

May 18, 2012 - The Liberty Crier: Ron Paul co-sponsors Obama impeachment bill

May 26, 2013 - Politicus USA: Republicans Move Closer to Impeachment With Claim that Obama Is Losing Moral Authority Rand Paul’s claim that Obama is losing the moral authority to lead is similar to what Republicans said about Bill Clinton in 1998, and another sign that Republicans are eyeing up impeachment.

In The News

dystopia - an imaginary place where people lead dehumanized and often fearful lives

plutocracy - government by the wealthy

fascism - a political philosophy, movement, or regime (as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition

corporatism - the organization of a society into industrial and professional corporations serving as organs of political representation and exercising control over persons and activities within their jurisdiction

Good Night

Nice seeing the sun appear, it's been a while. We've all been walking around in coats and jackets with the very mild temperatures and cold rain. Enjoy your extra holiday vibe and see you bright and early on Monday morning.

Food Printer

Time: NASA-Funded 3D Food Printer: Could It End World Hunger?

'Frenchie'

FRENCHIE from thismustbetheplace on Vimeo.

Floods - Drought

Guardian UK: Texas flash floods leave two dead in San Antonio - Authorities still searching for teenage boy swept away trying to cross swollen creek after massive flooding from torrential rain

US Drought Monitor

Whirlybird



The whirlybirds are out and about by the ba-gillions. The maples decided now was the time.

On Drones

NYT: Q & A: Answering Readers’ Queries on Drones

Heights



Reuters: Austrian overcomes fear of heights to aim for slackline record

Krugman's Latest

NYT: The Closing of the Conservative Mind

Have A Good Morning

Tony Plant's sand drawing

The Onion - The Events Depicted In ‘Star Wars’ Actually Happened To Me By George Lucas

The Onion: The Events Depicted In ‘Star Wars’ Actually Happened To Me By George Lucas

Al Jazeera - Costa Rica Drifts Towards Carbon-Free Future

Al Jazeera - The Main Headines

Global Warming - Unfold

Guardian UK: Climate change art exhibition opens in Beijing - Exhibition, called Unfold, aims to merge culture and science to provoke climate debate in China

Looking Deeper Into The IRS Scandal

AlterNet: 6 Key Facts That Have Been Lost in the IRS Scandal - Dark money groups continue to warp politics and get tax exemptions without having to name their donors.
3. The Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision meant that corporations could pay for political ads, anonymously, using social welfare nonprofits.

Bangladesh Workers

AlterNet: Big Backlash in Bangladesh: Workers Escalate Demands for Better Working Conditions - The future of Bangladesh lies in the power of international cooperation and the implementation of concrete political measures to end unfair labor practices.

Aimee's Bionic Hands

'Bloodbuzz Ohio'

The National

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Good Night

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”― Albert Einstein

“I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.” ― Albert Einstein

Locusts



Guardian UK: Locust plagues point to grim future of climate change - Climatic changes in China, the Middle East and Africa could see more severe outbreaks of locusts devastating food crops

Maddow - Virginia's Extreme GOP Candidates

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

Pretty Picture

Apparently America is butt f-ing itself to indignity and disgrace. This guy is a piece of work and when I first heard his clip I literally burst out laughing.

Have A Good Morning

work by Tony Plant. He takes a rake out to the sand shoreline and creates patterns.

The Onion - Biden Investigated For Questionable Workers’ Comp Claim

The Onion: Biden Investigated For Questionable Workers’ Comp Claim

Al Jazeera - Early Apple Computer To Be Auctioned

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

Global Warming - Calamity

Guardian UK: Climate change: human disaster looms, claims new research - Forecast global temperature rise of 4C a calamity for large swaths of planet even if predicted extremes are not reached

Keeping It Inane

AlterNet: 10 Crazy Things the Right Did This Week - It's been another week of the insane, inane, and outright offensive.
...she should've been forced to wait and give birth rather than have an abortion even though her fetus had no brain function.

The Texas GOP introduced another 24 anti-abortion bills this year, but thankfully none of them advanced.

Saturday

Good morning. It is 44 degrees and raining here in Upstate NY. It's been rainy here all week with more expected tomorrow. Looking at the forecast we are supposed to have temperatures in the 90s by Friday and that would mean a 50 degree swing. Yeah that's a lot. What a week's it's been, no need to recap the news here. The tornado disasters have really caught our attention and the sheer horror and suffering is unimaginable. Obama is under intense pressure from the GOP and truthfully I'm not surprised and in many ways I'm not interested either. The GOP is the master race of throwing red herrings, so those guys and it is mostly guys will throw that rotten fish at the lightest instigation. They can't help themselves, I mean seriously now, is the Tea Party a non political group that should be sheltered from paying Federal taxes. Give me a break. Singled out my ass. Enjoy the extended weekend, it will be soggy if you are in this area. I will be working on this old house and at some point I'll hit my favorite restaurant destination point.

'Demons'

The National

Friday, May 24, 2013

Good Night

'The Spokesman'

The Spokesman from dean saffron on Vimeo.

Water

Bloomberg: Global Majority Faces `Severe' Water Shortage: Scientists

DOW Closes Higher

The DOW closed at 15,303.10 gaining 8.60 points.

CNN: Investors consider life after Fed stimulus

The Daily Show - Priorities USA

Maddow - Gitmo And Obama

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 15,241.55 down 52.95 points.

CNN: Doomsday investors betting on market crash

Have A Good Morning

The Onion - Study: Anxiety Resolved By Thinking About It Real Hard


Study: Anxiety Resolved By Thinking About It Real Hard

Al Jazeera - World War II Secret Files Released

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

Global Warming - Martin Weitzman Professor Of Economics, Harvard

PBS: The Odds of Disaster: An Economist's Warning on Global Warming
Most people do not realize how difficult it is to stabilize CO2 concentrations. It is not nearly enough to stabilize CO2 emissions, which would cause CO2 concentrations to keep on increasing at the same rate as before. (This is because changes in concentrations are proportional to emissions.) The problem is that if you want to stabilize CO2 concentrations, you have to make drastic cuts in CO2 emissions. This is no easy feat. Yet, unless it is done, we are liable to reach very high levels of CO2 concentrations.

More Prisons, More Prisoners, More Stringent Drug Laws

AlterNet: America's Corrupt Justice System: Federal Private Prison Populations Grew by 784% in 10 Year Span

The Market On Friday

  It is 54 degrees and rainy here in Upstate NY. The forecast has it raining right through the weekend, hopefully we can somehow salvage a day of sunshine over the extended holiday. On our personal note, the whole routine for using whitening strips for one's teeth seems to have improved significantly. I am using a well known brand and these things stick to your teeth very well, there isn't that gooey and drippy quality of my past experience. They do work too, the stains are slowly lifting. I'm using a level 4 product with 5 being the most whitening. I'm not even going to go near how the stuff is probably leaving behind a trail of toxicity for my system to make sense out of. They were a little pricey in my opinion, but they really do work and they are not such a nuisance when you're sitting there for 30 minutes while they bleach away.

  At 7:55 a.m. ET futures are significantly down and the price of oil per barrel is lower. The market is poised to open lower.

  The short story appears to be twofold. First investors are still concerned that the Fed is about to abate its quantitative easing program. Secondly the indexes have risen dramatically over a short period of time, leaving everyone wondering how stable that rise really is. Generally speaking when we have a 3 day weekend the Friday tends to be a day with less trading since many are already on extended vacations. That tends to play into a more volatile market. Perhaps calmer heads will prevail  by closing time.

CNN: Another downer day on Wall Street
U.S. stock futures fell 0.6% as jitters from the previous day's market mayhem spilled over.

'Sea Of Love'

The National

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Good Night

Non sequitur of the day -

Raw Story: Ted Cruz: There may be more wacko birds in the Senate than suspected

Please Close Guantánamo

Guardian UK: Guantánamo detainee release to be restarted as part of Obama plan - President outlines steps for transfer of detainees from controversial Cuban detention center in national security speech

Frogs And Toads

Denver Post: Study: Number of frogs, toads declining at alarming rate

DOW Closes Lower

The DOW closed at 15,294.50 dropping 12.67 points.

The morning's report of expected losses occurred initially but then the market rebounded.

CNN:

The Daily Show - Bill O'Reilly Extended Interview Pt. 1

Maddow - Americans Killed By American Drones

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 15,292.77 down 14.40 points.

CNN: Wall Street tries to buck global sell-off

Have A Good Morning

work by Morrison

The Onion - Obama Fed Grapes While Urging Press Conference To Enjoy Orgy

The Onion: Obama Fed Grapes While Urging Press Conference To Enjoy Orgy

Al Jazeera - Canadian Photographer Snaps Lookalikes

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

Global Warming - Majority On Board

LA Times: Majority thinks global warming, clean energy should be priorities

The State Of Friendship

Something we can all relate to...

AlterNet: In the Age of Social Media, People Say They Want More Real Friends - An innovative study reveals that more than 75% of Americans are unhappy with their friendships.

The Market On Thursday

  Good morning. It is 69 degrees and mostly cloudy here in Upstate NY. We might even get another day of thunder storms, my poor dog. We are now trying "Rescue Remedy" with her to see if that can help keep her happier during the booms. Basketball fans were thrilled last night with the Heat vs Pacers game. I must say these two teams are quite well matched, the Pacers are good. They deserved to beat the Knicks, they are the superior team.

  At 7:50 a.m. futures are severely lower and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open with a resounding thud.

  Investors will be fleeing equities today on weak data indicating a slowdown in Chinese manufacturing. The manufacturing hub of the world produced less in recent months - good news for the world, bad news for the world's economy as it presently exists. The predictions on how steeply the market will drop are dizzying. It looks like the shoe we have been waiting for to drop, is about to drop.

CNN: Wall Street braces for China and Fed fallout
...Asian markets ended the day with sharp losses.

...worse-than-expected Chinese data that showed manufacturing slowed for the first time in seven months...

'Light My Fire'

The Doors live

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Good Night

Chomsky On Obama And Bin Laden

DOW Closes Lower

The DOW closed at 15,307.17 dropping 80.41 points.

CNN: Stocks slip as Fed sends mixed message

The Daily Show - Canada High

Maddow - Safe Rooms

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 15,480.22 up 92.64 points.

CNN: Bernanke warns against hitting the brakes too soon

Have A Good Morning

work by Michel Blazy

The Onion - 24-Year-Old Receives Sage Counsel From Venerable 27-Year-Old

The Onion: 24-Year-Old Receives Sage Counsel From Venerable 27-Year-Old

Al Jazeera - Riots In Sweden Continue After Police Shooting

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

Global Warming - Tornadoes

SF Chronicle: More tornadoes from global warming? Nobody knows

Solar

AlterNet: Rooftop Revolution: How Solar Energy Is Putting Power Back in the Hands of the People - Sungevity founder Danny Kennedy talks about his book and how solar power is transforming communities and creating jobs.

The Market On Wednesday

  Good morning. It is 63 degrees and hazy sunny here in Upstate NY. The thunder, lightning, and rain were on prime display throughout the night. One particular boom of thunder brought me right out of a deep sleep, the type of deep sleep where you awake and are clueless about your location - where am I? In some respects I may still be suffering from that...Unfortunately our new dog is terrified of the thunder. She hunkers down on the tile in the bathroom with her head almost under the sink vanity and she simply shakes, trembles. Nothing can rouse her out of it and right now we are considering putting her on a medication to help ease her suffering. The news is dominated by the death and destruction caused by the tornadoes out west. It's hard to imagine one coming out of a tornado shelter and seeing one's entire world, one's town or neighborhood reduced to nothing but a heap of debris in a matter of seconds. All this then comes the utter urgency of locating family, friends, and neighbors to see if they have survived. The sense of dislocation and feeling of helplessness are over the top and so these people are dealing with some very deep trauma. That's a major problem. We are all attentive to it and somehow we try to mentally surround these stricken areas with a sense of compassion and deep concern.

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

  Well right about now with the DOW approaching the 15,500 level we are all looking at each other and wondering. Some of us are wondering when this journey ends and some are wondering how we can extend the ride. We tend to forget that the market is cyclical and that is the reality. Fed chair Bernanke will be speaking about economic policy before Congress today. This is very big. Bernanke is expected to reveal the Fed's thinking on its program of quantitative easing AKA flooding the markets with money. Will this program continue, abate, slowly wind down, etc - this is the question. Needless to say the answer will affect the direction of the market. Early indications are that the program will continue. We shall see.

CNN: Stocks: Looking to Bernanke
Bernanke will discuss his outlook for the economy Wednesday before Congress in a hearing that begins at 10 a.m. ET.

...data on existing home sales at 10 a.m ET.

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