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Tuesday, December 31, 2013

New Year's Eve

I hope you have an excellent New Year's Eve. Be safe, stay warm, celebrate the end of 2013 and celebrate an opportunity for a new beginning in 2014. Amazingly we made it through another year, high fives all around. 2014 is the year of the green horse.

DOW Closes Higher

The DOW closed at 16,576.66 gaining 72.37 points.

CNN: Stocks: Stellar year ends on a high note

Maddow - More Benghazi

MSNBC: GOP invents new, broader Benghazi conspiracy

NYT: A Deadly Mix in Benghazi

DOW Higher At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 16,554.23 up 49.94 points.

CNN: Stocks look to finish 2013 on a high note

'Phone Call'

Key & Peele



Have A Good Morning

work by Francis Picabia


The Onion - Gatorade Releases New Performance Suppository

The Onion: Gatorade Releases New Performance Suppository

TRNN Replay - McDonald's Employee Confronts Executive: I Can't Afford Shoes For My Children

Fukushima Continues

AlterNet: More than 70 US Navy Sailors to Sue For Fukushima Radiation Poisoning - At least 71 sailors from the USS Ronald Reagan reported radiation sickness and will file a lawsuit against Tokyo Electric Power Co., which operates the Fukushima Daiichi energy plant.

Supernatural

AlterNet: You Won't Believe Conservatives' Absurd Theories They Think Will Cure Poverty - Why pay attention to facts when you can pray to nonsensical idols?

The Market On Tuesday

  Good morning. It is 12 degrees and cloudy on New Year's Eve Day here in Upstate NY. Looks like we've got a few cold days ahead, followed by some warming. Here we are on the cusp of another new year. For some reason I clearly recall the change to 2000. Remember that. Everybody thought that computers would fail and that mayhem would follow. Now it's a whopping 14 years later. How time flies. I actually like the changing and movement of the years. Somehow this allows you to put it all behind you, enjoy the memories of the delicious moments and just let go of the pain of the harder ones. We're human beings, we can do that.

  At 8:45 a.m. futures are modestly higher and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open slightly higher.

  Well we can definitely say one thing about 2013, it was a great year to be invested in equities. Contrary to the great fear surrounding the stock market, stocks are perched at all time highs. Not only that but the signs at least for the moment point to more gains in 2014. Quite a bit can still go wrong, as we know. Capitalism is a remarkable creature, it can run its course and then change directions and run the hell out of a new course over and over and over. New markets are created, resources are burned up, old markets wither away, and the environment and the poor take it on the chin. Welcome in 2014.

CNN: Stocks: Ready for one last record close?
The latest edition of the Case-Shiller 20-city home price index will be released at 9 a.m. ET Tuesday. At 10 a.m., the Conference Board will release its monthly consumer confidence index.

'I Put A Spell On You'

Screamin' Jay Hawkins

Monday, December 30, 2013

Evolved

The number of Republicans that believe in evolution has dropped by 10% in the last 4 years. How can this be?

Pew Research: Public’s Views on Human Evolution
In 2009, 54% of Republicans and 64% of Democrats said humans have evolved over time, a difference of 10 percentage points. Today, 43% of Republicans and 67% of Democrats say humans have evolved, a 24-point gap.

Good Night

LoopdeLoop DANCE PARTY - "In Fielder" by Miro Belle from LoopdeLoop on Vimeo.

DOW Closes Higher

The DOW closed at 16,504.29 gaining 25.88 points.

CNN: 5 biggest housing comebacks of 2013

Drone

Guardian UK: Suspected US drone strike kills 'three foreign militants' - Drone fired two missiles at a home in a northwestern tribal region of Pakistan bordering Afghanistan, Pakistani officials said

DOW Higher At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 16,484.03 up 5.62 points.

CNN: France's 75% 'millionaire tax' to become law

Best News Bloopers 2013

Have A Good Morning

work by Marcel Duchamp



The Onion - Cousins Meaner This Year

The Onion: Cousins Meaner This Year

TRNN Replay - Chicago Communities Fight Back Against Koch Brothers 'Petcoke' Pollution

Global Warming - Arctic Glacier Retreat

HuffPo: Message In A Bottle Found In Arctic Glacier Ultimately Reveals Global Warming In Region

The Best American Politician Is Elizabeth Warren

I love her. I hope she eventually become the President.

AlterNet: Elizabeth Warren: It's the Right of Every American to Retire with Dignity -- Why We Must Expand Social Security - "Instead of taking on the retirement crisis, instead of strengthening Social Security, some in Washington are actually fighting to cut benefits."

The Market On Monday

  Good morning. It is 31 degrees and overcast here in Upstate NY. The weather logos point to a real cold spell by midweek then back up to the "warmer" 30s by the weekend. It could prove to be a cold New Year's Day. We had a dusting of snow last night and right now the lawns are more white than late Fall grass. Two items that stuck my attention this morning were the second terrorist attack in Russia and the 75% millionaires tax being imposed in France. Talk about things that will shake up a country. Imagine if those terrorist attacks occurred in the USA, we'd soon be at war. Curiously we can handle mass shootings, somehow they don't count as terrorist attacks.

  At 8:25 a.m. ET futures are slightly higher and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open in the mixed fuzzy area.

  2013 has seen an incredible bull run in the stock market when viewed as a whole. Equities have done very well this last year. Everything I'm reading suggests that 2014 will continue with this run but the run will be slower, the pace of the bull run is slowing. Recall that we are about to enter into fourth quarter earnings season when corporate earnings reports will dominate. Fro today and tomorrow all we want to see is a flat market with low trading volume and not a lot of activity in the holiday week.

CNN: Stocks: Losing steam as 2013 winds down
Typically this time of year sees light trading volumes as many investors and traders take time off work.

'Glory Box'

Portishead

Sunday, December 29, 2013

Ouch

Guardian UK: Slapdowns of 2013 - It's been a good year for insults. Here's our pick of the best slams, jibes, character assassinations and comebacks
"America's resident dunce Sarah Palin, scraping the barrel of her long deceased mind." Martin Bashir reacts to Sarah Palin's comparison of US debt to slavery.

World Economy 2014

Reuters: 2014 promises faster growth, but no leap forward
"...the long-anticipated cyclical acceleration of U.S. growth is happening..."

Good Night

'Drummer Wanted'

Drummer Wanted : Dean Zimmer from rossangeles on Vimeo.

Cruz Curse

Guardian UK: Ted Cruz 'taking steps' to renounce Canadian citizenship - Texas senator announced he was hiring lawyers to help extricate him from his apparently unhelpful surplus nationality

On Success

"Success makes so many people hate you. I wish it wasn't that way. It would be wonderful to enjoy success without seeing envy in the eyes of those around you." - Marilyn Monroe

"Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value." - Albert Einstein

"Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome." - Booker T. Washington

"Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success." - Dale Carnegie

2014 U.S. Economy Predictions

CS Monitor: Predictions for 2014 economy? Here are five. Predictions for 2014 economy are generally upbeat, with analysts seeing growing picking up and the bull market in stocks continuing. But the economy won't get back to normal in the new year, despite the positive predictions for 2014.

Key & Peele - Black Ice

Geeky Humor

Guardian UK: Scientists tell us their favourite jokes: 'An electron and a positron walked into a bar…' - Science is a very serious business, so what tickles a rational mind? In a not very scientific experiment, we asked a sample of great minds for their favourite jokes
A statistician is someone who tells you, when you've got your head in the fridge and your feet in the oven, that you're – on average - very comfortable.

Have A Good Day

work by Man Ray

The Onion - Scientists Theorize Sun Could Support Fire-Based Life

The Onion: Scientists Theorize Sun Could Support Fire-Based Life

TRNN Replay - 28-year Old PhD Student Debunks The Most Influential Austerity Study

Global Warming - How To Get People Involved

The title of the article is misleading, the interview is really about the PR war so to speak. This is the PR war about how to catch people's attention through film, TV, etc and get them interested in global warming. It's a sad state of affairs in one sense because you can lead people with candy and sex, it's hard to lead them with scientific facts. The people that read this blog already get it, but this is more about creating a greater movement by leading people to global warming with candy and sex.

ABC News: Filmmaker Randy Olson: Climate Change Is 'Bo-Ho-Horing'

Sanctimonious Shame

AlterNet: America's Insane Attitude Towards Sexual Pleasure - America is still a puritanical, consumer nation bent on policing sexual expression, while selling smut and sanctimony steeped in shame.

'Live'

Sylvain Luc

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Friday, December 27, 2013

Occupy Delivers Houses To The Homeless

Marketplace

click the 'Marketplace' logo to hear the stream.

Good Night

'Dad's Hollywood Secret' - Key & Peele

DOW Closes Flat

The DOW closed at 16,478.41 dropping 1.47 points.

CNN: Unemployment benefits for 1.3 million expire Saturday

Maddow - 2013 Bests: Gay In The Head, Detroit’s Dragon

DOW Flat At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 16,480.85 up 0.97 points.

CNN: Many Americans feel economy isn't improving

Have A Good Morning

work by Man Ray


The Onion - Chipmunk’s Plan For Future Better Crafted Than That Of 8 Out Of 10 Americans

The Onion: Chipmunk’s Plan For Future Better Crafted Than That Of 8 Out Of 10 Americans

TRNN - Australia Has $16 Minimum Wage And Is The Only Rich Country To Dodge The Global Recession

Global Warming - GPM

It's going to be harder and harder for the denier class to hold onto their beliefs as scientific facts trumpet louder and louder.

CS Monitor: How is global warming affecting precipitation? New satellite to help explain. Set to launch in February, the Global Precipitation Monitoring (GPM) satellite will, among other things, gather data that can help with efforts to monitor the effects of global warming on precipitation.

Agism

AlterNet: 50 Is the New 65: Older Americans Are Getting Booted from Their Jobs -- and Denied New Opportunities - Age discrimination could be headed for you, sooner than you think.

The Market On Friday

  Good morning. It is 21 degrees and cloudy here in Upstate NY. The weather logos insist we are heading into a very slight warming trend with sunshine as well. We're into that mysterious week between Christmas and New Year's Day when we are not quite sure if it's a complete holiday or if we need to work or what, but we are definitely in a holiday mindset. Do we take the time off or do we work harder. I'm still convalescing from last Friday's surgery, I figure I can milk this thing for hopefully another week with lots of lazing about. In truth I've got a few months before everything heals completely, each day I'm taking a few short walks through the neighborhood adding a little bit more distance each time.

  At 8:35 a.m. ET futures are slightly higher and the price of oil per barrel is slightly up too. The market is poised to open in the flat to slightly higher area.

  According to the CNN article the most salient part today points to a sell off because investors are looking to lower tax bills in 2014. Call it a reality check tax day, how mundane. Otherwise the second most salient point suggests that many are viewing 2014 as more of the same rally of the past 6 years but at a slower pace. What does that mean? Are we talking about the DOW passing 17,000 or more? So much for all the expert articles on how 2013 would be the year of a cataclysmic recession. We can safely say - not this year, put it to bed for a while. I will belligerently predict that we will not experience a recession in 2013...

CNN: Stocks: Santa rally may run out of puff
...many individuals are selling stocks to reduce their tax bills.

...many experts believe the bull market will continue for a sixth year in 2014, albeit at a more modest pace.

'Christmastime Is Here'

Vince Guaraldi


Thursday, December 26, 2013

Foolishness

Guardian UK: The Gospel according to Fox News — and their cries of holiday persecution — make them look even more foolish

'Manly Tears'

Key & Peele

Good Night


One Approach

Guardian UK: Should newspapers ban climate deniers like Reddit's science forum? - Moderators on one of the sections of Reddit have banned people denying manmade climate change. Newspapers should follow, argues Nathan Allen for Grist

DOW Closes Higher

The DOW closed at 16,479.88 gaining 122.33 points.

CNN: Stocks: The gifts keep coming

Internet Privacy

Guardian UK: Internet privacy as important as human rights, says UN's Navi Pillay - Navi Pillay compares uproar over mass surveillance to response that helped defeat apartheid during Today programme

DOW Higher At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 16,448.32 gaining 90.77 points.

CNN: Treasury yields hit 3%

Have A Good Morning

work by Lasló Moholy-Nagy

The Onion - Relatives Gather From Across The Country To Stare Into Screens Together

The Onion: Relatives Gather From Across The Country To Stare Into Screens Together

TRNN - Government Debt And Deficits Are Not The Problem - Private Debt Is

This is from earlier in the year and it is essential information.

Global Warming - Drought

Guardian UK: Global warming will intensify drought, says new study - A new paper concludes droughts will probably set in more quickly and become more intense

You're Happiness

AlterNet: The Real Secret to Happiness - Why the search for meaning in one's life may be more satisfying than the pursuit of happiness.

The Market On Thursday

  Good morning. It is 26 degrees and cloudy here in Upstate NY. The weather logos suggest a slight warming trend through the weekend and some sunshine. I hope you had a good Christmas yesterday, we had a nice dinner with friends. I tried to not overeat and I think I succeeded. Yours truly is still on the mend from surgery last Friday. I must say the Laparoscopic method really does cut down on the lazing about time. I am walking better and better each day and I suspect in about a week I will be able to walk very normally and for a reasonable distance. The entire healing process for an inguinal hernia is about three months as the mesh used to repair the abdominal wall needs to literally scar over.

  At 8:35 a.m. ET futures are moderately higher and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open higher.

  Generally speaking the articles suggest that investors are pleased with two strong factors in the Wall Street economy. From the investors point of view, strong corporate earnings along with continued quantitative easing spell rally. Meanwhile the rest of us are just silently watching wondering when the room to move runs out as the Christmas bull run continues this morning.

CNN: Stocks: U.S. futures tilt higher Thursday
The broad rally puts the Dow on track for its best year since 2003 and the S&P 500 on pace for its best year since 1997.

This year's gains have been driven by ongoing economic stimulus from the Federal Reserve, increased confidence in the economy, solid corporate earnings growth, and more individual investors entering the stock market.

'Bad To The Bone'

George Thorogood

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Good Night

'Thin White Gelato'

Thin White Gelato from Trunk Animation on Vimeo.

Bigger Picture

NPR: The Christmas Now: How To Be The Center Of The Universe
Catch a glimpse of a relatively nearby star and you see it as it existed when the light left the star's surface, perhaps when Lincoln was president (if the star is 150 light-years away). Some stars near the edges of our own galaxy are seen as they appeared when the last ice age was in full bloom.

The Grinches

Raw Story: Raw Story’s top 10 villains of 2013

Global Warming - Greenland's Reservoir

CS Monitor: Reservoir found under Greenland's snow. What it means for shrinking glaciers. - The water in the huge reservoir remains liquid year-round, and researchers say it could help them estimate how Greenland's rapidly melting ice sheet will respond to global warming.

Have A Great Day

work by Norman Rockwell




'Do Not Be Afraid'

I am digging this guy.

CNN: Pope at Christmas Eve Mass: 'Do not be afraid'

Merry Christmas

The best gift we have is each other. Enjoy the day!

'Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas'

Frank Sinatra

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

'Power Falcons'

Key & Peele

Good Night

Bruton Stroube Studios // Decor Amore // Holiday Card 2013 from Bruton Stroube Studios on Vimeo.

DOW Closes Higher

The DOW closed at 16,357.55 gaining 62.94 points.

Reuters: Wall Street ends slightly higher in short session

Apollo 8, December 24, 1968 - The Moon

Newly Wed

Chicago Tribune: Couple in their 80s enjoy new love and marriage - Striking coincidences helped bring them closer at Far Northwest Side retirement community
The Falters were married a few weeks ago in the retirement center chapel surrounded by family and friends, who say the couple act more like high school sweethearts than newlyweds in their twilight years.

The Daily Show - A Look Back - Februrary 2013

Maddow - To The Moon!

Have A Good Morning

work by Beverly Pepper


The Onion - Insecure, Frustrated Bully With Something To Prove Considering Career In Law Enforcement

The Onion: Insecure, Frustrated Bully With Something To Prove Considering Career In Law Enforcement

TRNN - A Look At Who's Poised To Become No.2 At The Fed

Global Warming - Attacking The Answer

AlterNet: 8 Most Absurd Attacks on Clean Tech in 2013 - Right-wing media made desperate attempts to smear Tesla, bikeshare programs and deadly wind energy.

Heal

AlterNet: The Amazing Ways Nature Can Heal You and Make You Feel at Your Best - There are some great reasons to get outside. Even looking out the window helps.

The Market On Tuesday

  Good morning. It is 24 degrees and sunny here in Upstate NY. Quite a bit of the snow from early December's huge storm has melted away the past few days and the ground is visible again. The high piles of snow from plows and such remain. Yours truly is still recuperating and will be for one to two weeks more. I'm interested in hearing what the doctor says when I go back for the last visit next week. I'm taking a lot less pain medication and can now gingerly take small walks up and down the block. I have been warned to go very slowly and to not lift anything more than a few pounds. I have no problem with slowing down.

  At 8:35 a.m. ET futures are slightly higher and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open in the flat to lower area.

  Wall Street closes at 1 this afternoon for the Christmas holiday. Usually on a day like today there is less trading, fewer traders, and sometime increased volatility as a result of the latter two points. What I'm reading is that there is a overall sense that the US economy is gaining. How this will all flush out on the future valuation of equities is unknown as always but at least the fear of an impending recession or worse is presently off the board.

CNN: Stocks: Not a creature was stirring...
Stock markets in New York will close at 1 p.m. ET Tuesday...

Investors have been feeling increasingly confident about the state of the U.S. economy...

'Full Concert'

Bireli Lagrene

Monday, December 23, 2013

Good Night

'Happy Holidays'

Happy Holidays from Victors & Spoils on Vimeo.

Space Time

Guardian UK: Contest winner Mandla Maseko set to become first black African in space - DJ from Mabopane township near Pretoria will be blasted 62 miles into orbit in 2015 after winning space academy competition

DOW Closes Higher

The DOW closed at 16,294.61 gaining 73.47 points.

Reuters: Dow, S&P hit record highs on Apple's gains

'More Than Honey'

trailer

Pussy Riot

Guardian UK: Pussy Riot's Nadezhda Tolokonnikova freed from Russian prison - Her release follows that of fellow Pussy Riot member Maria Alyokhina, who has dismissed the amnesty as a PR stunt

DOW Higher At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 16,300.47 up 79.33 points.

CNN: Getting an elite MBA for free: It's possible

Have A Good Morning

work by Alice Aycock


The Onion - Area Man Treats Girlfriend To Sumptuous 20-Second Massage

The Onion: Area Man Treats Girlfriend To Sumptuous 20-Second Massage

TRNN - Scientists Link Spike In Thyroid Disease To Fukushima Disaster

Global Warming - Dark Money Denial

AlterNet: Study Finds Shift to 'Dark Money' in Climate Change Denial Effort - Koch Industries, ExxonMobil disappear from traceable public databases after 2007.

A Real Champion

AlterNet: How Elizabeth Warren's Privacy Rules Will Fight the Corporate Snoops - Warren and her colleagues are fighting to chop down barriers for job seekers.

The Market On Monday

  Good morning. It is 40 degrees and lightly raining here in Upstate NY. After a warming trend peaked on Sunday, the forecast has things turning more wintery this week. Yours truly is recovering from surgery which I had on Friday. I've got a few weeks of lazing about ahead of me. I would have to say that generally speaking I'm like everyone else in that the last thing one wants to undertake is surgery, but in my case there really was no other option if I was to resume a reasonable life. I could have elected to not have surgery and then face a life of mostly laying down to avoid pain. We are fortunate in that we do have a last resort. In some ways the biggest challenge to surgery is the anxiety, worry, and fear but these negative emotions are not good reasons to avoid a medical procedure. I did some research, I spoke with people, I found a good surgeon, and I very intently worked with relaxation techniques that are invaluable.

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

  Investors are seeing very positive signs in the corporate economy and the articles are suggesting that we are not soon to see the expected correction from the QE tapering announcement. In fact there is the suggestion that we are now in another mini-rally. The thought is that the economy will grow at a pace larger than expected in 2014, tack that onto a very modest tapering of QE3 and the world looks rosy. We shall see, as we know the market is unpredictable.

CNN: Stocks: No holding back the Santa rally
...the IMF would raise its forecast for the U.S. economy, in part because Congress had struck a deal on the budget and the Federal Reserve had managed its decision to begin reducing monetary stimulus effectively.

'In Samois'

Gonzalo Bergara - full concert

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Good Night

'Black Bike Week'

Black Bike Week from Sean Dunne on Vimeo.

Want

The latest object of my desire, the Takamine P3NY. It's the small size and sensitive electronics that appeal. I would need a clear pickguard on it too.



Conan, Ice Cube, Kevin Hart


Have A Good Day

work by Alan Sonfist

The Borowitz Report - Scalia Calls 'Duck Dynasty' Decision Unconstitutional

New Yorker: Scalia Calls “Duck Dynasty” Decision Unconstitutional

TRNN - On Florida In 2000 And What To Do Next - Ralph Nader On Reality Asserts Itself

Global Warming - American Pikas

National Geographic: Tiny, Rabbit-Like Animals Eating "Paper" to Survive Global Warming - A new study probed the surprising diet of threatened alpine pikas.

Cruel Farm

AlterNet: 6 Crimes Against Nature Perpetrated By the Food Industry - While many procedures on factory farms are cruel, breeding animals into mutants and violating mother/offspring bonds are truly crimes against nature.

Hernia Surgery

I can fess up now, I spent Friday at the hospital undergoing surgery for a hernia. I've had the hernia for almost 2 months. I'm home and resting, flipping through websites at the moment, and definitely feeling it. Might do a short write up about the surgery and the many steps one has to take to get into the operating room. I think it would be valuable for someone who might face something similar within the confines of our medical system. They try to do everything out patient now, I was in the hospital for about nine hours today. I got good pain meds, I now have something in common with Rush Limbaugh. If I don't post a lot on Saturday, this is why.

'Bumpin' On Sunset'

Wes Montgomery

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Good Night

'Experimental animation meets pottery' - very cool.

Experimental animation meets pottery from Crafts Council on Vimeo.

Good Boycott

Guardian UK: European boycott of death penalty drugs lowers rate of US executions - New Death Penalty Information Center report claims there were 39 executions this year – the lowest number since 1994

DOW Closes Higher

The DOW closed at 16,179.08 gaining 11.11 points.

CNN: Investors take a break after taper rally

The Daily Show - Charlatan's Web

Maddow - Bigger Plan Seen In Baucus Pick For China

DOW Lower At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 16,159.30 down 8.67 points.

CNN: The new inequality: Health care

Have A Good Morning

work by Nils Udo


The Onion - Obnoxious Friend Won't Stop Attaining Major Life Milestones - 30-Year-Old Married, Pregnant Law School Grad Needs To Slow It Down

The Onion: Obnoxious Friend Won't Stop Attaining Major Life Milestones - 30-Year-Old Married, Pregnant Law School Grad Needs To Slow It Down

TRNN - Are Nader Like Reforms Still Possible? - Ralph Nader On Reality Asserts Itself

Global Warming - Fossil Fuel Messes

AlterNet: What A Year: 45 Fossil Fuel Disasters the Industry Doesn’t Want You to Know About - Here is a look back at some of the fossil fuel disasters that made headlines in 2013, along with several others that went largely unnoticed.

Shrimp

AlterNet: Why You May Never Want to Eat Shrimp Again - A whopping 85 percent of the shrimp we eat is imported and when it arrives in the U.S., almost none of this food is ever inspected.

The Market On Thursday

  Good morning. It is 25 degrees and at the moment, sunny, here in Upstate NY. The logos indicate we're on a warming trend through Monday with Sunday now predicted to go into the mid 50s. That will seems like a heat wave considering two days ago it was -4 degrees. Regardless, it's good to see the old Sun and not have that solid gray day. Get out and let some of that light hit your eyes, we lack vitamin D in these parts and most people need to take a D3 supplement.

  At 8:40 a.m. ET futures are slightly lower and the price of oil per barrel is slightly higher. The market is poised to open in the mixed flat area.

  The taper QE news was not the big scary thing some had feared. Just the opposite as the indexes went very high yesterday on the Fed news. As the taper is slight, why the worry? I just checked weekly first time layoffs at 379,000 and that is a messy number, not the best at all. Well we have entered a new phase in the market, less QE and more reliance on the soundness of the recovering economy. Don't forget, do not confuse Wall Street with Main Street.

CNN: Stocks draw breath after taper gains
The Fed's decision to wind down -- or taper -- its stimulus program can be interpreted as a sign the economy is getting back on its feet and no longer needs as much assistance from the central bank.

'Magnificat'

Arvo Part

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Instant Oil

PNNL: Algae to crude oil: Million-year natural process takes minutes in the lab

Good Night

'City Lights'

City Lights from Colin Rich on Vimeo.

QE

Technically speaking, the article headline is not correct. This is not the end of QE.

Guardian UK: Federal Reserve to taper economic stimulus on heels of strong jobs growth - Ben Bernanke signals end to massive five-year intervention - Fed scaling back bond-buying programme by $10bn a month

DOW Closes Significantly Higher

The DOW closed at 16,167.97 gaining 292.71 points.

My initial take is that the "taper" is relatively modest (very modest) yet it still will continue, so it's not horrible news from the investors point of view.

CNN: Bernanke on Fed taper in 90 seconds

Taper

With this announcement, the DOW is now back over 16,000! Go figure.

CNN: Fed finally tapers its stimulus

Rick Hanson's Latest

I'm a big fan of this man's work. He shows you the actual science behind positive contemplative activity.

Neurodharma: A New Way of Healing

The Daily Show - Exclusive - Erik Prince Extended Interview Pt. 1

Maddow - Untrustworthy Issa Travels To Bash Obamacare

DOW Higher At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 15,901.20 up 25.94 points.

CNN: 5 robots you can buy right now

Have A Good Morning

work by Brendan O'Connell

The Onion - Bo Obama Receives Visiting Dognitaries From Furuguay

The Onion: Bo Obama Receives Visiting Dognitaries From Furuguay

TRNN - McCarthyism Made Us Veer Away From A Systemic Doctrine For Change - Ralph Nader On RAI

Global Warming - Explained In A Minute

NPR: Global Warming Explained, In About A Minute

Bad Food

AlterNet: Potentially Deadly Food Pathogens You Should Know About—and 9 Ways You Can Avoid Them - More than half of U.S food poisoning cases are traced to unsanitary restaurant food handling practices.

The Market On Wednesday

  Good morning. It is 11 degrees and on the verge of lightly snowing here in Upstate NY. It is 15 degrees warmer than yesterday. The irony is that if you look to the forecast, they're saying that we get close to 60 degrees here on Sunday. If that really happens, I may go out in a t-shirt just for the hell of it. Actually it's a Winter wonderland out there and it's very beautiful. Enjoy the snow, it's a great thing.

  At 8:50 a.m. ET futures are modestly higher and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open modestly higher.

  Well today is the big day. Early this afternoon the Fed will release it's latest monetary policy and investors want to know if it will be about tapering off QE3 or not. This is a big deal and who knows by the end of the day we could have a huge drop or a gain all based on this policy.

CNN: Stocks: All eyes on the Federal Reserve
The central bank will announce its latest decision on interest rates at 2 p.m. ET, followed by a press conference featuring Fed chair Ben Bernanke at 2:30.

'My Serenade'

Angelo Debarre

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Good Night

'A Game Of Numbers'

A Game of Numbers - New York Times Op-Doc from Kris Hofmann on Vimeo.

Global Warming - Totality

Guardian UK: 'Whole world' at risk from simultaneous droughts, famines, epidemics: scientists - Research published by US National Academy of Sciences warns climate change impacts could be worse than thought

DOW Closes Lower

The DOW closed at 15,875.26 dropping 9.31 points.

CNN: Maryland: A minimum wage battleground

How Much

MNN: How much does humanity weigh? North Americans had the highest average body mass of any continent with 178 pounds.

'Anchorman 2'

trailer

The Daily Show - White Santa And Megyn Kelly's Apology

Maddow - Gun Safety Laws Draw Attacks From Outsiders

DOW Lower At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 15,853.18 down 31.39 points.

CNN: Why a Fed taper will be good for the economy

On Gratitude

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend." Melody Beattie

"At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us."Albert Schweitzer

"'Thank you' is the best prayer that anyone could say. I say that one a lot. Thank you expresses extreme gratitude, humility, understanding." Alice Walker

Have A Good Morning

work by Brendan O'Connell

The Onion - Study: American Intestinal Bacteria Most Obese In World

The Onion: Study: American Intestinal Bacteria Most Obese In World

TRNN - Ukrainians Protest Oligarchic Rule That Has Stripped The Country Of Its Wealth

Global Warming - Fracking Up Close

Guardian UK: Fracking hell: what it's really like to live next to a shale gas well - Nausea, headaches and nosebleeds, invasive chemical smells, constant drilling, slumping property prices – welcome to Ponder, Texas, where fracking has overtaken the town. With the chancellor last week announcing tax breaks for drilling companies, could the UK be facing the same fate?

Toxic Mix

AlterNet: Inside the Megyn Kelly Phenomenon: Right-Wing Snarls and Sexy Smiles Add Up to Monster Ratings - Kelly's combined 2.5 million viewers are beating CNN and MSNBC combined; can her toxic mix of beauty and hate make it in the long haul?

The Market On Tuesday

  Good morning. It is -4 degrees and snowing here in Upstate NY. That is about as cold as it gets in these parts although with climate change in effect, who knows where it will go. Yesterday I was thinking about how I often feel that the Winter is limiting on my physical movement. It's really not true, the only limitation is that you need to wear a lot more clothes. Otherwise you really have no limitation.

  At 8:45 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 tepid area.

  Essentially I could write the same thing here today and for the last several months. It's still all about how the markets will respond when QE3 is tapered off. Some think the word will come down this week, others think later on. Either way, eventually it has to end and the market will adjust.

CNN: Stocks: Calm before the Fed storm?
The Fed's final monetary policy meeting of 2013 wraps up Wednesday...

'Trisagion For String Orchestra'

Arvo Pärt

Monday, December 16, 2013

Soap

CS Monitor: FDA: Antibacterial scrubs might be worse than plain soap - Antibacterial soaps are not proven to be more effective than plain soap and water and might have some negative side-effects, the FDA said Monday. It is calling for an investigation.

Flip

Good Night

'Mondo Taurobolium'

Devendra Banhart's "Mondo Taurobolium" by Galen Pehrson - NOWNESS from NOWNESS on Vimeo.

DOW Closes Higher

The DOW closed at 15,884.57 gaining 129.21 points.

It's not something I recommend or endorse however this is a curious story. Beware the penny stock unless you need a full time endless job.

CNN: Trader turns $1,500 to $1 million in 3 years

Making More

Reuters: U.S. factory activity gains steam as production broadens

e-Waste

Guardian UK: Toxic 'e-waste' dumped in poor nations, says United Nations - Millions of tonnes of old electronic goods illegally exported to developing countries, as people dump luxury items

Guardian UK: 'This is not a good place to live': inside Ghana's dump for electronic waste - At Agbogbloshie, young people scavenge for scrap metal amid the smoke from plastics fires. The health risks are obvious – but the money is too good to ignore

DOW Higher At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 15,895.81 gaining 140.45 points.

CNN: Dow jumps 150 points

Have A Good Morning

work by Brendan O'Connell

The Borowitz Report - Children’s Letters To Megyn Kelly

New Yorker: Children’s Letters to Megyn Kelly

TRNN - Pope Francis Labels Capitalism 'New Tyranny', But Is It More Than Rhetoric?

Global Warming - Respond

NYT: Can We Respond to Problems like Global Warming Where There’s ‘No Simple Villain’?

Shantytown USA

AlterNet: The Jungle: Thousands of Homeless People Live in Shantytowns at the Epicenter of High-Tech, Super-Rich Silicon Valley - Residents of Silicon Valley’s largest homeless encampment illustrate the widening divide between the nation’s haves and have-nots.

The Market On Monday

  Good morning. It is 20 degrees and slightly sunny here in Upstate NY. We are into Winter but good. As you know we had a major snowstorm through the weekend. Snowstorms are often followed by a gloriously clear and sunny day which somehow makes things a lot better. We have a little bit of that this morning.

  At 8:50 a.m. ET futures are moderately higher and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open higher.

  At the center of this week's market activity will be a probable announcement from the Fed on it's quantitative easing program. QE has been the elephant in the room for quite some time now. So buckle your belts, when the official word of tapering QE off is passed down, we expect to see the markets go through some type of correction. The questions are how deep and for how long.

CNN: Stocks: Fed decision around the corner
Investors are treading cautiously as they wait to see whether the Federal Reserve will begin cutting back on its massive stimulus program...

'Silentium'

Arvo Pärt

Sunday, December 15, 2013

GOFight

CS Monitor: How serious is the Republican food fight? (+video) With next year's mid-term congressional elections fast approaching, the Republican Party – including its top two Senate leaders – faces a challenge from tea party insurgents on the right.

Good Night

'Lumin'

Lumin from Mark Wincek on Vimeo.

Melissa On Megyn

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

Have A Good Morning

work by Brendan O'Connell

The Onion - The Year In Review

The Onion: The Year In Review

TRNN - Snowden Reveals Extent Of Canada's Spying On Behalf Of NSA

Global Warming - Keystone XL Update

AlterNet: TransCanada Begins Injecting Oil Into Southern Leg of Keystone XL Despite Reported Anomalies - Even with hundreds of structural problems and two warning letters, the Canadian company moves forward on plans on its pipeline, inspected and found to exhibit both weld flaws and denting.

Santa Edition

AlterNet: 10 Certifiably Insane Rants from the Right-Wing Fringe This Week: War on Santa Edition - Megyn Kelly, Donald Trump and Pat Robertson vie for the craziest prize.

'2013 Rewind'

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Good Night

Snowing here like crazy, it's the first major storm of the year. Have a good evening and see you bright and early on Sunday.

Megyn

For unknown technical reasons Raw Story will not allow me to post my comment on this story at their site. - Megyn Kelly doubles down on ‘white Santa’: I did it for the kids. But I can at least post it here.

Conservatives get stuck and hung up on very tiny meaningless matters, it's part of their makeup. If there's a perfectly fine and normal experience going on somewhere, you can bet your last dollar that a conservative is finding a tempest of problems. The Luddites at FOX News have amazingly uncovered a nefarious "war on Christmas." Kelly's skewered comments which are naturally humorous to conservatives, are just another angle on the preposterous notion of a war on Christmas. Generally, conservatives think they have made a real funny joke when they have provoked the rest of the world negatively. Kelly deserves all the backlash and much more. In FOX echo chamber world, conservatives are right, correct, and incapable of compromise or change because they are pure, morally impeccable, and exist to teach the world how to be - the rest of us just lack the delicate nuance that appreciates the highest levels of intelligence. We fail to understand Kelly's great factual insight, it does not even enter her mind that her words could possibly be vicious, boorish, repulsive, or just plain stupid and unnecessary. What about this is surprising? None of it, these people live in a tiny ultra-supported world where nonsense like this gets applauded as if it were some kind of blessing to the universe.

Cared

Dr Rick Hanson: Feeling Cared About

Have A Good Morning

work by Brendan O'Connell

The Onion - Encouraging Economic Report Reveals More Americans Delusional Enough To Start Their Own Business

The Onion: Encouraging Economic Report Reveals More Americans Delusional Enough To Start Their Own Business

TRNN - Bipartisan Budget Deal Secures Austerity Policies, Fails To Extend Unemployment Benefits

Global Warming - Podesta And Keystone

AlterNet: Activists Urge White House Not to Silence Obama's Climate Adviser and Strong Critic of Keystone XL - Obama taps John Podesta—favored by climate change activists—on the shoulder to advise the country's environmental policy—but why did he then recuse himself from working on the Keystone decision?

The Radical Right

AlterNet: When Will the Media Learn? Conservatives Are NOT “Centrists”! From Chris Christie to Third Way, the political class mislabels the political center. Here's why it's so dangerous.

'The Life Divine'

Santana and McLaughlin

Friday, December 13, 2013

Good Night

'NHDK'

NHDK from victor enrich on Vimeo.

Of The People

Guardian UK: Uruguay's president José Mujica: no palace, no motorcade, no frills - In the week that Uruguay legalizes cannabis, the 78-year-old explains why he rejects the 'world's poorest president' label
...forsworn a state palace in favour of a farmhouse, donates the vast bulk of his salary to social projects, flies economy class and drives an old Volkswagen Beetle.

DOW Closes Higher

The DOW closed at 15,755.36 gaining 15.93 points.

CNN: Losing week for stocks as investors wait on Fed

The Daily Show - War on Christmas - S#@t's Getting Weird Edition

Maddow - GOP Losing Patience With Conservatives

DOW Higher At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 15,752.39 up 12.96 points.

CNN: Average American inheritance: $177,000

Have A Good Morning

work by Brendan O'Connell

The Borowitz Report - Record For Worst Congress Of All Time So Close Boehner Can Taste It

New Yorker: Record for Worst Congress of All Time So Close Boehner Can Taste It

TRNN - Bill Black: Volcker Rule Approved But 'Not Enforceable'

Global Warming - Not Pausing At All

Guardian UK: Global warming is unpaused and stuck on fast forward, new research shows - A new paper shows that global warming has continued over the past decade, and been manifested in different ways

GE Foods

AlterNet: Who Should You Believe When it Comes to the Safety of Genetically Engineered Foods? - Conflicting studies and tons of controversy surrounding GE foods are muddying up the water.

The Market On Friday

  Good morning. It is 25 degrees and cloudy here in Upstate NY. The logos all point to more snow over the next few days. It actually feels more like January than December in these parts. We are all speculating on what type of Winter we'll have. Considering all Winters of recent years have confounded us, it's a real shoot as to the answer. Here's my prediction - we go through a lot of cold in December and the beginning of January, then it gets moderate out, it stays a little cold but with lots of peaks above freezing.

  At 8:40 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 position

  A new budget has been approved by the House and then it's on to the Senate. This is worrisome for investors as they contemplate the end of extra ultra cheap liquidity. QE3 has done wonders to make corporate balance sheets look great. If you have swapped a loan at a high interest rate for a loan at a very low interest rate, your balance sheet into the future looks amazingly better. You are now paying out a lot less money in interest each month and you are showing a lot more profitability.

CNN: Stocks: Poised to snap three-day losing streak
A tapering decision might come as early as next week when the central bank holds its final policy meeting for the year.

'Round Midnight'

The Modern Jazz Quartet

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Kristin Korb

She's an amazing jazz singer/bassist

Good Night

'Portraits Of A Sadhu'

Portraits of a Sadhu from Jeremy Snell on Vimeo.

DOW Closes Lower

The DOW closed at 15,739.43 dropping 104.10 points.

The irony is beyond escape. The indexes are dropping because the economy is improving! This could be a first. How do you like those apples?

Reuters: Wall St. ends down as more signs point to Fed taper

The Daily Show - Budge Report - A Miraculous Compromise

Maddow - Private GOP Civil War Exposed By Budget Deal

DOW Lower At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 15,754.24 down 89.29 points.

CNN: I work 4 jobs and I'm still struggling

Have A Good Morning

work by Brendan O'Connell



The Onion - Red Lobster Welcomes Back ‘Defrosted Shrimp Days’

The Onion: Red Lobster Welcomes Back ‘Defrosted Shrimp Days’

TRNN - 1 Out Of 3 Bank Tellers In NY On Public Assistance

Global Warming - Magnesite

NBC News: Abandoned mine could yield clues to stopping global warming

The Deal

AlterNet: 5 Things Terribly Wrong With the Ryan-Murray Budget Deal - Every assumption of the deal is wrong-headed.

The Market On Thursday

  Good morning. It is 23 degrees and sunny here in Upstate NY. Winter is here, man it snuck up on us fast. Dress warmly, wear gloves and a hat, it's cold out there.

  At 8:40 a.m. ET futures are modestly lower and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open lower.

  It's a case of the positives are actually negatives, a new budget deal might mean that QE3 tapers off sooner rather than later, or at least that is the fear. Combine this with a steep increase in first time layoffs for this last week and the market is set to kick off in the red. Is this the beginning of the end, so to speak. Are we at the beginning of a correction? Who knows.

CNN: Stocks' disappointing December continues
...a new U.S. budget deal raises the chances the Federal Reserve might start to scale back its support for the economy soon.

'Me And The Boys'

NRBQ

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Good Night

'Brendan O'Connell is Blocking The Bread Aisle'

Brendan O'Connell is Blocking The Bread Aisle from Julien Lasseur on Vimeo.

Say Please

Guardian UK: French cafe offers discounts to polite customers - Sign outside Côte d'Azur establishment lists price of coffee as €7 but 'Bonjour, un café, s'il vous plaît' costs only €1.40

DOW Closes Lower

The DOW closed at 15,843.53 dropping 129.60 points.

CNN: Dow falls 130 points

Mars

CS Monitor: Mars colony project launches plans for 2018 test mission (+video) Mars One, a nonprofit, privately funded group aiming to land human settlers on the red planet in 2025, has contracted with two aerospace companies to study ideas for a preliminary test mission.

CS Monitor: Mars was not only habitable, it was downright Earth-like, Curiosity finds - Mars' Gale Crater had a long, thin lake that could have supported microbial life in a setting 'really similar to an Earth environment,' according to data collected by NASA's Curiosity rover.

The Daily Show - American Horrible Story

Maddow - Iran Deal Saved By Congressional Ineptitude

DOW Lower At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 15,887.75 down 85.38 points.

CNN: Stocks slide despite U.S. budget deal

Dad

Raw Story: You are what daddy ate, study says

Have A Good Morning

work by Julie Rrap

The Onion - Delirious Rover Hallucinates Water On Mars

The Onion: Delirious Rover Hallucinates Water On Mars

TRNN - What Would Universal Healthcare Look Like In The U.S.?

Down And Dirty

AlterNet: The Surprising Healing Qualities ... of Dirt - A doctor discovers exposure to healthy farm soil holds keys to healthy bodies.

Liz Warren

ALterNet: Corporate Democrats in DC Already in Freakout Mode That Liz Warren Is a Threat to Their Power - There's a growing smear campaign underway against progressive ideas that might represent a threat to Hillary Clinton in 2016.

The Market On Wednesday

  Good morning. It is a cold 29 degrees with a little bit of sunshine at the moment here in Upstate NY. The weather logos are showing snow every day through Sunday. Dreams of a white Christmas are alive and well. Some people really like the snow and others, not so much. I recall loving the snow as a child because it meant sledding, snow forts, and a sense of delicious comfort going into a warm house and dry clothes. Ah childhood...

  At 8:40 a.m. ET futures are slightly higher and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open in the slightly higher to slightly lower area.

  All roads in the investment world right now point back to Rome. Rome in this case is the Fed and in particular the Fed's QE3 program of infusing cheap liquidity into the wholesale system. So with a new budget deal possibly getting approved, the concern is whether or not this will increase the likelihood of tapering off QE3. Last week it was how the employment numbers for November would taper off QE3. So, what do we think is of main concern to the investment world - endless cheap liquidity or a reversal of the idiotic sequester policy.

CNN: Stocks eye budget deal for taper risk
Congressional negotiators reached a bipartisan budget compromise on Tuesday that would prevent another government shutdown...The deal would set spending levels, reduce the deficit and relieve some of the arbitrary, forced spending cuts.

'Lonely Woman'

The Modern Jazz Quartet (the piece is incomplete but still very nice.)