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Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Good Night

See you bright and early Thursday morning. Enjoy the gorgeous Summer evening.

DOW Closes Lower

The DOW closed at 15,499.54 dropping 21.05 points.

CNN: Federal Reserve signals cautious optimism about U.S. economy

FOX News Worst Interview Ever

The Daily Show - Judge Johnny - Halliburton

Maddow - Obama's Economy Focus

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 15,574.68 up 54.09 points.

CNN: The Social Security mistake that costs retirees thousands

Have A Good Morning

work by Jannis Kounellis

The Onion - Pit Of Komodo Dragons Shocked To Discover Billionaire Who Owns Them Is Just 26

The Onion: Pit Of Komodo Dragons Shocked To Discover Billionaire Who Owns Them Is Just 26

Al Jazeera - Canadians Protest Fatal Shooting Of A Teen

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

Global Warming - Runaway Warming Rendering Earth Unihabitable

CS Monitor: When would global warming destroy life on Earth? Study hazards a guess. Two new studies look at when a runaway greenhouse effect makes a planet uninhabitable. For Earth, the data suggest that time is still distant, even with current levels of global warming.

John Pilger's Latest

AlteNet: The Madness of the Willful Destruction of Our Dependable Popular Way of Life - Ubiquitous cameras are normal. Subverted freedoms are normal. Effective public dissent is now controlled by police, whose intimidation is normal.

The Market On Wednesday

  Good morning. It is 60 degrees and sunny here in Upstate NY. Right now I would describe the temperature as perfect, perfect summer morning. We started watching 'Django Unchained' late last night, I must say in at least the first 15 minutes it's pretty funny in a zombie/slave/dark comedy type of way. I'll let you know how I feel about after I've watched the whole thing.

  At 7:50 a.m. ET futures are ever so slightly higher and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open flat to slightly higher.

  Two bits of economic data will come through today that will no doubt have an impact on markets throughout the world. The first is the government's first guess at the USA's second quarter GDP. The second is probably even more compelling in that it is a statement on monetary policy from the Fed. Take you pick, but the Fed rules the roost.

CNN: Stocks: Patiently awaiting the Fed
The Fed will release a statement around 2 p.m. ET...

...first estimate of second-quarter GDP at 8:30 a.m.

'Swing 42'

Stephane Grappelli

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Old As The Hills

io9.com: Gay marriage in the year 100 AD

Good Night

'Peruvian Prison Aerobics'

Peruvian Prison Aerobics from Storyhunter on Vimeo.

New EPA Chief

Guardian UK: EPA chief: preventing climate change the opportunity of a lifetime - Gina McCarthy signals she is ready for political fight in optimistic first speech as head of US environmental agency

Max Sentence 130 Years

Guardian UK: Bradley Manning cleared of 'aiding the enemy' but guilty of most other charges

DOW Closes Flat

The DOW closed at 15,520.59 dropping 1.38 points.

CNN: More ho-hum economic growth ahead

The Daily Show - Mark Leibovich Extended Interview Pt. 1

Maddow - North Carolina's GOP Inspired Laws

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 15,533.19 up 11.22 points.

CNN: Home prices keep soaring

Have A Good Morning

work by Jannis Kounellis

The Onion - Vatican Quickly Performs Damage Control On Pope’s Tolerant Remarks

The Onion: Vatican Quickly Performs Damage Control On Pope’s Tolerant Remarks

Al Jazeera - Car Manufacturing Booms In Mexico

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

Global Warming - Thailand's Koh Samet Oil Spill

Guardian UK: Thailand's Koh Samet oil spill badly affecting tourism and fishing industry - Tourism minister reveals PTT Global Chemical leak in Gulf of Thailand has extreme effect, as fears grow spill will hit mainland

Chomsky - Government Security

AlterNet: Noam Chomsky: The State Fears Its Own People - Chomsky on terror, Snowden, and why "security" is usually an excuse for government repression.

The Market On Tuesday

  Good morning. It is 59 degrees and cloudy here in Upstate NY. The jacket is on as it's cool out, and time continues to fly by with only one more day of July. Where did the month go. July 2013 will go down in US history as the time of the Zimmerman trial, now there's a tainted legacy if there ever was one. I think one of the drawbacks of the internet is that we are now able to get connected to the blue collar news as it occurs and actually read about it in greater quantities. The problems that mankind creates for itself are on display all day long. Now I found the FBI's operation which took down child prostitution pimps throughout the country to be mixed in the sense that it's good that it's gone but it's simultaneously a burden knowing that this type of monstrous activity is occurring throughout the country. I mean 75 cities - pure misery. A stream of positive uplifting stories is not on display, is it.

  At 8:00 a.m ET futures are modestly higher and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open in the mixed to slightly higher area.

  On Wednesday investors will get to parse a new statement from the Fed. This is as always a big deal and will potentially shake the market in either direction depending on the news. Then on Friday there's the all important government data on job creation in July. Right now these two are the big movers of the week. Otherwise it's still primarily about corporate second quarter results.

CNN: Stocks: Looking to rebound after Monday's losses
The S&P Case-Shiller index, which measures home prices in 20 major markets, will be released at 9 a.m. ET. At 10 a.m., the Conference Board will release its monthly reading on consumer confidence.

'Bossa Dorado'

Dorado Schmitt Quartet

Monday, July 29, 2013

Good Night

'Look'

Look from Jane Mumford on Vimeo.

DOW Closes Lower

The DOW closed at 15,521.97 dropping 36.86 points.

CNN: Stocks tumble at start of busy week

Eccentric

teaser to get you interested in buying the article...

Scientific American: The Unleashed Mind: Why Creative People Are Eccentric

Just Another Floridian Day

Raw Story: ‘It was like a firing squad’: Deputies shoot Florida man in his own front yard

Port Of Brisbane Oil Spill

Brisbane is a port city on the east coast of Australia.

Gaurdian UK: Pelicans covered in oil after Port of Brisbane spill - The spill, over a 1,400-metre stretch of wharf, has not spread to the channel but may take a week to clean up

Talks

Guardian UK: Middle East peace talks rebooted as Netanyahu and Abbas mull legacies - Israeli and Palestinian leaders may seem far apart on key issues – borders, refugees and Jerusalem – but neither of them are underestimating the resolve of John Kerry or the US

DOW Lower At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 15,504.23 down 54.60 points.

CNN: Stocks fall despite flurry of deals

Don Lemon Again


Have A Good Morning

work by Jannis Kounellis


The Onion - Proposed Legislation Offers Citizenship To Immigrants Who Can Play Piano So Good It Makes Everyone Cry

The Onion: Proposed Legislation Offers Citizenship To Immigrants Who Can Play Piano So Good It Makes Everyone Cry

Al Jazeera - Seoul Rolls Out Electric Cars

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

Global Warming - Runaway Warming

The Independent UK: Runaway global warming Armageddon? It may be more likely than you thought - Calculations from Canadian and US scientists show runaway greenhouse effect is realistic possibility

Except

AlterNet: 8 Shocking Ways America Leads the World - The New American Exceptionalism: Number one in obesity, guns, prisoners, anxiety, and more...

The Market On Monday

  Good morning. It is 65 degrees and sunny here in Upstate NY. It looks like we are in for a gorgeous summer day. I hope your weekend was good, you got plenty of rest, and ate lots of great food. Speaking of food, the AP report from yesterday which shows damning news about the real wealth of Americans has people talking. A lot more people experience poverty than is reported. This is not surprising but I do like the fact that people are at least identifying what is there, what is obvious. Hey, I live in a middle class area and I'm under budgetary constraints all the time. It's not really a fluffy joyride. I'm fortunate in that I'm not out on the street but travel 5 to 10 miles from here into Albany and many are, the impoverishment is felt, seen, and it's debilitating. I'm not seeing anything in plain sight that's going to alleviate this mess, nothing in the economy indicates a change for the better, the tumble will continue. The right is having a field day with it in terms of blaming Obama. Fundamentally the problem is right wing policies that are implemented by both Democrats and Republicans. Turning all the wealth over to the richest people does not produce a trickle down effect, just the opposite occurs, the spigot is closed, nothing is dripping. The right wing's solution - ban abortion.

  At 8:15 a.m. futures are modestly down and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open in the lower to mixed area.

  Second quarter corporate reports are the order of the day. Beyond that, there is the very important government data on employment for the month of July which we will be hearing about on Friday. That's an important report and the week is already biased towards that report, we are in waiting mode.

CNN: Stocks: Investors wait for earnings
Asian markets ended in the red...

'Live'

Trio Rosenberg

Sunday, July 28, 2013

Don Lemon's Advice

CNN: No Talking Points - Five Ways To Fix Our Community

Third USA World

Oh yeah, we are doing just fine...

CBS News: 80 percent of U.S. adults face near-poverty, unemployment, survey finds

Less Is Less

A contender for the if it were not so poignantly tragic it would be painfully humorous award of the week.

CNN: Man armed with bat and knife attempts to rob a gun store -- he fails

Good Night

'Fortune Elephant Dream'

Fortune Elephant Dream from NOIDentities on Vimeo.

More And More

CS Monitor: World will use 56 percent more energy by 2040 - Developing countries are driving the consumption of inexpensive fossil fuels, according to the US Energy Information Administration. Government intervention and international exchanges of low-carbon technology could help mitigate the effects of climate change, experts say.

Coming Up On Wall Street

Reuters: Wall St. Week Ahead: Stocks face the Fed, jobs and earnings

3 Star Jail

DailyMail: America's most luxurious jail? California prison is charging inmates $155 to upgrade to fancy wing with widescreen TV and 'quiet surroundings'

Have A Good Morning

work by Michelangelo Pistoletto - 'Venus Of The Rags'

The Onion - School Of The Arts Aims To Transform Boys And Girls Into Insufferable Young Men And Women

The Onion: School Of The Arts Aims To Transform Boys And Girls Into Insufferable Young Men And Women

Al Jazeera - Halliburton Admits Guilt In Gulf Spill Case

Reprehensible, the CEO of Halliburton should be in prison for life. There's two forms of justice in America, one for the poor and one for the rich, and the worst crimes are committed by the rich. This is an outrage.

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

Global Warming - The Essential Problem

AlterNet: “Ridiculous pseudo-science garbage”: Meet the GOP’s environment leaders! - What do the 8 Republicans who sit on the Senate Environment Committee think about climate change? We break it down

Crackers

Guardian UK: Graham crackers: five crazy things the South Carolina senator has said - Maverick Republican Senator Lindsey Graham is one of DC's most quoted politicians – and not just for his wit and acumen

Sunday

Good morning. It is 67 degrees and raining here in Upstate NY. I must say on a quiet Sunday morning, after sleeping in a bit, the sound of the rain is tranquilizing. Tranquil we shall be. Last night I played guitar with my ensemble at a nice performance space. Performing is a beast of its own. I think it went over well, people responded nicely, and we left with a lot of supportive words. Maybe my next career will be as a performer, what the hell.

CCD

quartz: Scientists discover what’s killing the bees and it’s worse than you thought

'Heart Shaped Box'

Nirvana

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Good Night

See you bright and early on Sunday morning. Have a great night.

Moonlight

Guardian UK: Moon may influence sleep, study finds - Even if moonlight isn't streaming through your curtains, the phase of the moon may affect how well you sleep

For What It's Worth

And Away They Go – More Major Sponsors Sail From Limbaugh’s Sinking Ship

Have A Good Morning

work by Mimmo Paladino

Weinered

The Borowitz Report: Weiner Continues Sexting During Apology

The Onion - Annual 6-Sentence Conversation With Cousin Goes Smoothly

The Onion: Annual 6-Sentence Conversation With Cousin Goes Smoothly

Al Jazeera - Londoners Decry Removal Of Street Art

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

Global Warming - CO2 Underground Storage

Seattle Times: Is there a fix for global warming under our feet? - Scientists start pumping CO2 into basalt deposits to test the idea that greenhouse gases could be locked up underground — but with no emission caps, industry is unlikely to adopt the technology.

Rabid

Although in the past I have often mentioned the need for a two state solution, my interest in this is at an all time high. Rabid, indeed.

AlterNet: 6 Ways Rabid Republicans Are Declaring War On America - Some of the biggest political fights in a generation are taking shape.

Saturday

  Good morning. It is 63 degrees and sunny here in Upstate NY. It is gorgeous out, cool, sunny, not humid, and awesomely summery. This is the type of climate I could get into all year round although I think that would mean traveling the globe every few months to find it. Tonight I am playing guitar with my ensemble, so a good part of the day will be about preparation. At some point today though the dog really needs a bath, this dog is a little on the ripe side right now. A trip to the dog wash is on the menu.

'August Bug Hum'

more of my music work - August Bug Hum

Friday, July 26, 2013

Good Night

Reuters: With Pope in town, ribald Rio a land of outdoor confessionals

Worst US Cities

The common denominator is violent crime along with economic regression.

10 Worst Cities to Visit in the United States

Reuters Climate Change Coverage

Guardian UK: Reuters' climate-change coverage 'fell by nearly 50% with skeptic as editor'

DOW Closes Higher

The DOW closed at 15,558.83 gaining 3.22 points.

CNN: New $444 million hockey arena is still a go in Detroit

Coffee, Brain, Mood

Harvard Gazette: Coffee drinking tied to lower risk of suicide - Researchers link caffeine’s impact on brain chemicals as playing key role

The Daily Show - Bob Bradley Extended Interview Pt. 1

Maddow - North Carolina's New Radical Right Bills

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 15,468.59 down 87.02 points.

CNN: Mercedes S-class: Closest thing yet to a self-driving car

Have A Good Morning

work by Mimmo Paladino



The Onion - Congress Fiercely Divided Over Completely Blank Bill That Says And Does Nothing

The Onion: Congress Fiercely Divided Over Completely Blank Bill That Says And Does Nothing

Al Jazeera - Small Town Economies Still Suffering In US

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

Global Warming - More Extreme Weather

Guardian UK: Global warming and the future of storms - New research by Kerry Emanuel suggests that hurricanes will become more frequent and more intense

The Summit

AlterNet: Shocking 'Extermination' Fantasies By the People Running America's Empire on Full Display at Aspen Summit - Security Forum participants expressed total confidence in American empire, but could not contain their panic at the mention of Snowden.

The Market On Friday

  Good morning. It is 61 degrees and cloudy here in Upstate NY. The forecast logo is indicating rain over the next few days. The weekend is here as another week has flown by but we are always ready for Saturday and Sunday. This weekend I am performing with my ensemble so that is my big news. Otherwise it's business as usual.

  At 8:10 a.m. futures are modestly down and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open lower.

  The articles indicate that there is no compelling reason for investors to push the indexes forward. My take is that the morning's dip is basically a breather, a pause as it were. Regardless, the DOW remains at a very fluffy high accompanied by a sense of an improving economy and far less fear of another immediate recession. Wait, did I just jinx that...

CNN: Stocks: Investors wary of placing big bets
Amazon shares were lower after the online retailer posted a surprise loss.

...data on consumer sentiment.

'Galleggiante'

work from my CD 'Il Progetto d'Amore'

Galleggiante

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Good Night

See you bright and early on Friday. The weekend is almost here.

Louie's Latest

One thing you can count on in politics is Louie Gohmert. Every single day Louie says something so batshit nuts that it makes Bachmann sound like a normal human being.

Raw Story: Gohmert likens minorities to prairie chickens and ‘various lizards’

DOW Closes Higher

The DOW closed at 15,555.61 gaining 13.37 points.

CNN: Facebook rallies 30%, logs best day ever

The Daily Show - Welcome Back, Cocker

Maddow - Pol Scandals

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

Move It

Yahoo: N.Y. City Council gives Madison Square Garden, home of the Knicks, 10 years to move

DOW Lower At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 15,517.82 down 24.42 points.

CNN: 5 charged with hacking 160 million cards over 7 years

Have A Good Morning

work by Eberhard Bosslet

The Onion - Man With Widely Circulated Penis Pictures Not The Most Humiliated Person At Podium

The Onion: Man With Widely Circulated Penis Pictures Not The Most Humiliated Person At Podium

Al Jazeera - Children Most At Risk From US Gun Violence

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

Global Warming - UK Flooding

Guardian UK: Worse floods ahead for UK as climate warms, say scientists - Airborne corridors which carry huge volumes of water, are set to get larger, causing more catastrophic floods

The Floridian State Of Mind

AlterNet: Why Is Florida So Weird? A Zillion Examples and 5 Theories - Floridian facts are stranger than fiction. Why?

The Market On Thursday

  Good morning. It is 57 degrees and sunny here in Upstate NY. We are back to delicious sleeping weather and sleep we did. Last night I actually used covers as I slept. In fact some people were saying this was our first glimpse of Fall. This human is not prepared to mentally go in that Fall direction, thank you. I will try to savor the Summer as best as I can. The garden on the other hand is producing wonderful quantities of greens and squash, so my diet is pretty much set. We also have cucumbers which in my opinion could very well be the best vegetable ever. Fall indeed...

  At 8:24 a.m. ET futures are modestly down and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open lower.

  So far corporate second quarter results have for the most part beaten expectations. However a few stinker results from yesterday are throwing a retreat sign up and into the mechanism for this morning. Let's see if it holds up through the day. Shortly we will also see the first time layoff numbers and through the recession this has always been a touchy and salient event. Enjoy the pre-Fall.

CNN: Stocks: Retreat on tap
... (so far) more than 65% (of S&P corporations) had topped analysts' expectations, according to S&P Capital IQ.

Asian markets ended with losses...

'Dancing In The Street'

Martha And The Vandellas

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Good Night

'The Pixel Painter'

The Pixel Painter from The Pixel Painter on Vimeo.

DOW Closes Lower

The DOW closed at 15,542.24 dropping 25.50 points.

CNN: Facebook shares soar on strong earnings

The Daily Show - Richard Haass Extended Interview Pt. 1

check out Haass - very bright man

Maddow - Apologies

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 15,515.98 down 51.76 points.

CNN: New home sales surge to 5-year high

Have A Good Morning

work by Eberhard Bosslet - the piece is made from recycled shopping carts

The Onion - Everyone In Whitey Bulger Trial Found Dead In Woods Outside Dorchester

The Onion: Everyone In Whitey Bulger Trial Found Dead In Woods Outside Dorchester

Al Jazeera - Earthrise - Sugar Plastic

Please watch this -

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

Global Warming - Arctic Shipping

A rather dubious boon -

Slate: Thanks to Global Warming, Arctic Shipping Has Quadrupled in the Past Year

We Are All Detroit, Literally

AlterNet: America Is on a Path to Turn into Detroit, and Republicans Are Cool with That - Thanks to the record-breaking inaction and gridlock in Washington, the entire country is following in the path of Detroit.

The Market On Wednesday

  Good morning. It is 68 degrees and cloudy here in Upstate NY. We've had a nice reprieve from the oppressive heat and humidity of the last few weeks. It looks like the new prince and Weiner's latest dalliance have knocked Zimmerman off the top of the headlines. We are moving on or at least the news would have us believe this is so. We have become used to the idea that we can only play with tragedy for so long as the depth of the tragedy indicates how long it remains the top story. We abide in the logic of the news media and its decision to allow a story to linger in our minds for only so long. Are we manipulated? Yes we are.

  At 8:10 a.m. ET futures are modestly higher and the price of oil per barrel is slightly lower. The market is poised to open slightly higher.

  Two pieces of positive news are inspiring this morning's small rally. First, Apple has shown its second quarter profits to be better than expected. This is a big deal because Apple is a huge deal. Apple is a top two corporate giant at this point and this positive earnings news rises above all other news like a new English prince baby above a murderer set free. Second, the eurozone is showing small signs of lifting out of its intractable economic stagnation with better than expected corporate news from that region. One plus one equals today's opening morning rally.

CNN: Stocks: Apple earnings lift spirits
Apple...reported quarterly earnings that beat expectations...

European markets were all moving up in morning trading after the latest eurozone purchasing managers' index showed the region was stabilizing. Manufacturing output grew for the first time since February 2012...

'All My Lovin'

Amy Winehouse

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Good Night

'The Beach Captain'

The Beach Captain from Tom Akerman on Vimeo.

Weiner - 'Yes I'm A Douche'

Do you think he's cooked now...what an idiot.

NBC News: Anthony Weiner admits sexting continued after 2011 resignation from Congress

DOW Closes Higher

The DOW closed at 15,567.74 gaining 22.19 points.

CNN: Google makes up 25% of Internet traffic

The Daily Show - Chapter 9 Mile

Maddow - Immigration Policy And The GOP

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 15,568.55 up 23.00 points.

CNN: Postal Service looks to end at-your-door mail

Have A Good Morning

work by Chris Booth

The Onion - Royal Baby Speaks First Words

The Onion: Royal Baby Speaks First Words

Al Jazeera - Logistical Headache As US Exits Afghanistan

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

Global Warming - Subarctic Fires

Live Science: Subarctic Wildfire Activity Is Heating Up

Black

Good discussion here -

AlterNet: Why the Phrase "Black-on-Black Crime" Suggests Inherent Criminality - In the wake of George Zimmerman's acquittal, some are putting the blame on violence in Black communities.

The Market On Tuesday

  Good morning. It is 72 degrees and raining intermittently here in Upstate NY. The rain was just what the doctor ordered, cooling, good for the gardens, and helpful with sleeping. I found myself enjoying the sound of the rain a little more than usual last night. The rage is all about the new prince baby, talk about a fixation - sheesh. Like it or not, this child will be the object of an intense media industry from here on out. We will be seeing supermarket headlines, radio blurbs, internet clips, TV pronouncements about the child literally for the rest of our lives. So he's here, get used to it. Poor kid, nobody asked him to be a media object, hopefully he can endure it. To me it would be worse than a life sentence.

  At 8:15 a.m. ET futures are modestly higher and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open in the mixed to slightly higher area.

  This week is all about second quarter corporate reports. So far the outlook has been positive as the results have been better than expected. The market is still on a roll, it's looking pretty fluffy for the immediate future. One thing to remember is that catastrophic events that are unpredictable always hang around the investment sub conscious. Just don't expect anything but it is looking up.

CNN: Stocks: Pushing toward record highs
"The overall tone in the market is still very positive..."

...Asian markets ended with gains.

'Paperback Writer'

The B-52's

Monday, July 22, 2013

Good Night

'Azul'

Azúl from Azúl Le Film on Vimeo.

The Zimmermen

Raw Story: Pro-Zimmerman group rallies to ‘protect’ Houston neighborhood from Trayvon Martin demonstrators

DOW Closes Flat

The DOW closed at 15,545.55 gaining 1.81 points.

CNN: Tax breaks: Washington budget voodoo hides true cost

View From The Outside

Guardian UK: The world is aghast over Trayvon Martin. The US needs to look at itself - The jurors who acquitted George Zimmerman say they acted in strict accordance with US law. That in itself speaks volumes

DOW Higher At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 15,560.17 up 16.43 points.

CNN: Home sales dip in June

Turmeric

GreenMedInfo: 600 Reasons Turmeric May Be The World's Most Important Herb

Have A Good Morning

work by Chris Booth

The Onion - Tiny Advisor Who Lived In Obama’s Ear Dead At 83

The Onion: Tiny Advisor Who Lived In Obama’s Ear Dead At 83

Al Jazeera - US Scientists Hope To 'Tornado-Proof' Homes

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

Global Warming - The Antarctic

eurekalert.com: Ancient ice melt unearthed in Antarctic mud - Global warming 5 million years ago may have caused parts of Antarctica's large ice sheets to melt and sea levels to rise

The Main Distraction

AlterNet: Bill Moyers: Weapons of Mass Distraction—Why the Media Most Americans Consume Is Harmful to the Public Health - Marty Kaplan unravels distractions that prevent national outcry over unemployment, hunger, crumbling infrastructure and out of whack systems.

The Market On Monday

  Good morning. It is 64 degrees and sunny here in Upstate NY. Although the humidity percentage is off the hook, somehow it doesn't feel so bad. Are we adjusting? I hope you had a good weekend, mine was busy as usual. I am rehearsing for a gig this upcoming weekend, so I'm spending a lot of time taking the guitar through its paces. I am a new fan of gypsy jazz guitar music and have focused on trying to cop as much of the style as I can. The music is more popular in Europe but so far regular audiences in my community have enjoyed it. Gypsy jazz is easier to connect with than modern jazz for an ordinary audience, it just is, that's the way the music is designed and that element of the music is important to me.

  At 8:10 a.m. ET futures are ever so slightly higher and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open in the flat to slightly higher area.

  Last week Bernanke's words created enough of a happy zone regarding the abatement of quantitative easing. This has allowed the bull market to continue possibly for a bit longer and one wonders how much longer considering the DOW is at record highs. Regardless with the quantitative easing problem now on hold, the focus is back to second quarter corporate earnings reports. That is allegedly this week's focus barring any unforeseen events.

CNN: Stocks: Bracing for an earnings deluge
"...around 160 S&P 500 constituents are scheduled to report..."

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

'Minor Swing'

Yorgui Loeffler

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Good Night

'Back In The Day'

Back In The Day from Trunk Animation on Vimeo.

Half

Itty Bitty Ma-take

Raw Story: U.S. fighter jets accidentally bomb Great Barrier Reef during training exercise

Closer To Normal

NBC: Pa. Artist Creates 'Average Sized' Barbie Doll A Pittsburgh digital artist decided to recreate 'Barbie' with the healthy proportions of a normal-sized woman.

Have A Good Morning

work by Chris Booth

The Onion - Deepak Chopra's EPIC Twitter Meltdown

The Onion: Deepak Chopra's EPIC Twitter Meltdown

Al Jazeera - Pioneering Correspondent Helen Thomas Dies At 92

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

Global Warming - Insurance Industry Versus The GOP

Fascinating article because what we have here is basically a schism in the GOP. On one hand you've got conservative insurance execs wanting some changes in housing insurance protocols because they are paying out billions from severe weather disasters due to climate change and then on the other hand you have the basic GOP deniers in elected government positions fundamentally opposed to reality. This is promising. When big business gets into the act, then we've got something, the deniers will then have no place for refuge other than big oil. Okay that is still refuge but the only refuge.

Bloomberg: Insurance Industry at Odds With U.S. Republicans Over Climate

Fire Breathers

The art of intractability and conscience free megaphone activity at it's highest supreme level.

AlterNet: The 5 Looniest Comments From Right-Wing Wackos This Week - It's been a banner week for red-state racists and sexists.

Sunday

  Good morning. It is 68 degrees, a little less humid in feel, and hazy sunny here in Upstate NY. Last night we visited my favorite restaurant and the food was divine, delicious in fact. My one tiny little criticism is that when you go to a restaurant, no matter where, the food is highly salted. So around 3:30 a.m I awoke feeling like I had just crawled through the desert for the last 4 hours. On my trip to get some water, the new dog greeted me with a wagging tail. Now that means she wants to go out, but I just couldn't muster the awake-ness to do it. Dog world please forgive me. In the past I've taken her out at 3:30 a.m. but this time she waited as I went back to sleep. Good dog. We were just out a few minutes ago and I must say her retrieving the football technique is getting highly refined. Today, is Sunday, it's the day of rest. I'm all for that.

'Joseph Joseph'

Yorgui Loeffler

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Good Night

'Wonderland'

Wonderland | A Short Form Doc on Creative Commerce from Eskimo on Vimeo.

The Week Ahead

Reuters: Wall St. Week Ahead: As Fed takes a backseat, earnings rule market

Have A Good Morning

work by Lucian Freud



The Onion - Not-That-Important Employee Snatches Best Donut In Box

The Onion: Not-That-Important Employee Snatches Best Donut In Box

Al Jazeera - Earthrise - Urban Oil Men

Al Jazeera - The Main Headlines

Global Warming - No Clean Energy Progress

We are one dumb species. With global warming staring us in the face like the ugliest demon one can imagine, we are ignoring it in favor of budgets, the dominance of oil and coal both as energy and as corporate political power centers, and the willingness to keep this coal and oil dominated system in place till apparently there is no oil or coal left. Big oil has won, the prize is an uninhabitable planet, enjoy your wealth it will enable you to buy a domed in habitat. The rest of us will be adding mineral content to the charred landscape.

Reuters: Clean energy progress too slow to limit global warming: report
With power generation still dominated by coal and governments failing to increase investment in clean energy...

Ground Stand

AlterNet: The Evil New 'Stand Your Ground' Law That Made the Killing of Trayvon Martin Permissible - Nobody ever seriously suggested, in the trial or in the media, that Trayvon Martin had a right to stand *his* ground.