Thursday, April 30, 2015
Crud
Ted Cruz is an intelligent person, highly intelligent especially in relation to other GOPers. His political offense is based on a divide and conquer policy. His approach is to literally throw gasoline onto the fire in the hope that the ashes somehow blow towards his constituency and in that process sow more seeds of confusion which leads to more dividing and conquering. We are becoming familiar with a commonly used Cruz tactic which is to simply accuse his opponent of the very thing that Cruz is intentionally doing. Here Cruz blames Obama for inflaming racial tensions knowing full well that this same Cruz statement inflames racial tensions. It's both a curious and miserable thing to witness someone like Cruz who has left any sense of conscience or consequences far behind, and what is particularly scary is that he may never have had either.
TPM: Cruz: Obama Has 'Inflamed Racial Tensions'
TPM: Cruz: Obama Has 'Inflamed Racial Tensions'
Baltimore And Allen Bullock
Guardian UK: Freddie Gray: protests across US as Baltimore forced to free 100 suspects
Guardian UK: Baltimore rioter held on $500,000 bail as parents say: 'We wanted him to do the right thing' - Allen Bullock’s mother and stepfather insisted he turn himself in, but like others they now find an impossible sum is being demanded for him to come home
Guardian UK: Baltimore rioter held on $500,000 bail as parents say: 'We wanted him to do the right thing' - Allen Bullock’s mother and stepfather insisted he turn himself in, but like others they now find an impossible sum is being demanded for him to come home
The Market On Thursday
Good morning. It is 54 degrees and sunny here in the Upper Hudson Valley. It looks like the warm weather has arrived, the forecast is predicting the temperature goes into the 80s on Monday. The leaves on the trees are really advancing now as the barren look to the environment of the past 6 months becomes a distant memory. What a week it has been so far. Shite! Last night there were protests in NYC with some arrests, Baltimore is a little more peaceful at least, Ted Cruz, the utter conscious free a-hole that he is throws a gallon of gasoline on the racial unrest, Bernie Sanders is running for president - snow ball in hell chance but we do love his honesty and integrity, and then the utter worst this horrific Nepal earthquake which I can't really wrap my pea brain around. What a week...
At 8:45 a.m. ET futures are modestly lower and the price of oil per barrel is up. Light crude is now trading above $59 a barrel. The market is poised to open lower.
Lots of stuff going on down on Wall Street. First time unemployment numbers came in at the best number in 15 years, 262,000. The Fed is indicating a certain softness to the US economy and the first GDP for the first quarter came in at an anemic .2% growth rate. This is serious, I mean throw a technical recession on top of today's misery, lord help us. In spite of all this the DOW remains perched at or near record highs with corporate reports remaining strong.
CNN: Stocks: 4 things to know before the open
At 8:45 a.m. ET futures are modestly lower and the price of oil per barrel is up. Light crude is now trading above $59 a barrel. The market is poised to open lower.
Lots of stuff going on down on Wall Street. First time unemployment numbers came in at the best number in 15 years, 262,000. The Fed is indicating a certain softness to the US economy and the first GDP for the first quarter came in at an anemic .2% growth rate. This is serious, I mean throw a technical recession on top of today's misery, lord help us. In spite of all this the DOW remains perched at or near record highs with corporate reports remaining strong.
CNN: Stocks: 4 things to know before the open
Crude futures ticked up 1% in electronic trading to hover just above $59 a barrel. Oil is trading at its highest level this year, helped along by a weaker than expected U.S. supply report on Wednesday.
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
From The Fed
Reuters: Fed points to softer U.S. labor market, weak economic growth
The Fed acknowledged that economic growth "had slowed during the winter months, in part reflecting transitory factors."
Oil Up
I checked the price of oil a few minutes ago and it was up around $59 a barrel for light crude. Recall that a few weeks ago the same oil was around $40 per barrel.
Reuters: Oil at 2015 highs after first stock draw in five months at U.S. hub
Reuters: Oil at 2015 highs after first stock draw in five months at U.S. hub
Sorta Sorry
BBC: Japan PM Abe offers 'deep repentance' over war with US
Correspondents say he stopped short of offering an apology for Japanese conduct during the war, which included the sexual enslavement of tens of thousands of Asian women by Japanese troops.
Global Warming - The Pope
The Heartland Institute is attacking the Pope for his correct stance on global warming. The Heartland Institute is of course funded by the usual suspects.
io9: Global Warming Skeptics Are Attacking The Pope For Being Green
io9: Global Warming Skeptics Are Attacking The Pope For Being Green
The Market On Wednesday
Good morning. It is 55 degrees and sunny here in the Upper Hudson Valley. Looks like we are in for a splendid Spring day where the temperature goes up in the 70s and hallelujah for that. It appears that overall, Baltimore slept a little better last night. There was a big debate over what to call these young black teens who are at the center of the looting. How about we call them juvenile delinquents, will that help. This is ridiculous a criminal is a criminal, no letting them off the hook because they are 'disenfranchised and poor'. You don't get a free pass when you commit crimes, I don't, you don't, and these kids do not either. I dislike this tendency to coddle the looters and justify their actions for reasons x, y, and z. We are all responsible for our actions.
At 8:30 a.m. ET futures are moderately lower and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open lower.
We see that Apple has shipped out their watch. I'd like to have one but the price is a little steep for me, I'm not that into high tech. Also in the past I've been burned many times when I got into a just released computer/electronic gizmo. Three months later the thing is out of date and the next version is twice as good. The Fed will be releasing their 2 day meeting minutes today and as always when the Fed speaks everything else stops in its tracks. This just in - the first quarter GDP expanded at the rate of 0.2%. This news will radically disappoint. Are we headed back towards recession?
GDP CNN: Stocks: 4 things to know before the open
At 8:30 a.m. ET futures are moderately lower and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open lower.
We see that Apple has shipped out their watch. I'd like to have one but the price is a little steep for me, I'm not that into high tech. Also in the past I've been burned many times when I got into a just released computer/electronic gizmo. Three months later the thing is out of date and the next version is twice as good. The Fed will be releasing their 2 day meeting minutes today and as always when the Fed speaks everything else stops in its tracks. This just in - the first quarter GDP expanded at the rate of 0.2%. This news will radically disappoint. Are we headed back towards recession?
GDP CNN: Stocks: 4 things to know before the open
The Federal Reserve will conclude its two-day meeting on monetary policy and release its monthly statement at 2 p.m. ET.
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
The Market On Tuesday
Good morning. It is 50 degrees and sunny here in the Upper Hudson Valley. The temperatures are warming up and the plants and trees are responding in kind. Baltimore is on fire. What a mess, looting, fires, serious injury, and a huge deep wound in the city that will take a long time to heal. Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake is a black woman and she said,"I don't understand how stealing jeans is going to bring justice to Mr. Gray." I don't either.
At 8:40 a.m. ET futures are moderately lower and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open lower.
Monday was a lackluster trading day and that tone has crept into the morning. Notice that BP has posted a strong first quarter, very interesting I think in light of the steep drop in oil prices. In spite of the present softness, there is an expectation that the bull will continue.
CNN: Stocks: 5 things to know before the open
At 8:40 a.m. ET futures are moderately lower and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open lower.
Monday was a lackluster trading day and that tone has crept into the morning. Notice that BP has posted a strong first quarter, very interesting I think in light of the steep drop in oil prices. In spite of the present softness, there is an expectation that the bull will continue.
CNN: Stocks: 5 things to know before the open
Shares in oil giants BP and Total are both rising by roughly 1% to 2% in Europe after the firms reported their latest results.
The S&P/Case-Shiller home index comes out at 9 a.m. ET, giving investors an overview of the strength of the U.S. housing market.
Monday, April 27, 2015
Black List
When did we become the 'list people'? There's The 21 Smartest People, The 10 Best Cities, The 8 Things To Know About Eggs, The 3 Best Exercises, The 12 Foods That Will Definitely Give You Cancer, The 17 Worst Films Ever. What is the deal here? Can some journalist or writer out there please do some other format, please. Here's my list - The Number 1 Unimaginative Thing Writers Are Relentlessly Doing At Present…
The Market On Monday
Good morning. It is 47 degrees and cloudy here in the Upper Hudson Valley. Sunshine is expected today and the forecasters are dangling the carrot of a 70 degree Wednesday in front of our gullible noses. I hope you had a good weekend, it was good taking a break from the blog on Sunday. The disastrous and extremely tragic earthquake in Nepal has claimed over 3700 lives. Unlike the people in Nepal we may not live over a fault line that will inevitably lead to an earthquake but we all experience personal earthquakes. That's when we get the really hard phone call at 3 a.m. or the news from the doctor that they want to take a further look at something or other. We have these instants of calamitous quick life shaking change, that's part of life, that's part of the life menu. We either accept it or we unconsciously fool ourselves.
At 8:30 a.m. ET futures are modestly higher and the price of oil is floating up and down around $57 a barrel for light crude. The market is poised to open higher.
Right now it's all happy days are here again on Wall Street. First quarter corporate results are positive and the market is spewing out new highs right and left. Oil is up with light crude floating between $55 and $57 a barrel for the last week. At the moment the investing scenery is peaceful.
CNN: Stocks: 4 things to know before the open
At 8:30 a.m. ET futures are modestly higher and the price of oil is floating up and down around $57 a barrel for light crude. The market is poised to open higher.
Right now it's all happy days are here again on Wall Street. First quarter corporate results are positive and the market is spewing out new highs right and left. Oil is up with light crude floating between $55 and $57 a barrel for the last week. At the moment the investing scenery is peaceful.
CNN: Stocks: 4 things to know before the open
Wall Street was an exciting place last week with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq both breaking records.
Sunday, April 26, 2015
Have A Great Sunday
I'm taking a scheduled day off from the blog today. I'll be back bright and early on Monday where we can resume looking at some of the pressing issues we all face. Have an excellent Sunday, keep safe and be well. Also my thanks to Glenn, Gary, Ed, Mark, and anonymous for your excellent comments, I learn more from the comments than from the actual articles! There are a lot of people that look at this blog and I would like to extend to you a sincere invitation to comment as well. Also, even though I'm a diehard NY Knicks fan, I do hope the Celtics can pull off one victory against the LeBrons on Sunday.
work by Jim Sande
work by Jim Sande
Saturday, April 25, 2015
Intersex
The Bruce Jenner interview has stirred up a lot of discussion. It is incumbent upon us to become more educated about millions of people out there who are simply born with a body that society has up to this point basically rejected and misunderstood. To me that seems like a rather shitty situation for society to be in, are we really that shallow. Let's try to become a little more human here - kind, understanding, gracious, and accepting.
Intersex Society Of North America: What is intersex?
Intersex Society Of North America: What is intersex?
“Intersex” is a general term used for a variety of conditions in which a person is born with a reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesn’t seem to fit the typical definitions of female or male. For example, a person might be born appearing to be female on the outside, but having mostly male-typical anatomy on the inside. Or a person may be born with genitals that seem to be in-between the usual male and female types—for example, a girl may be born with a noticeably large clitoris, or lacking a vaginal opening, or a boy may be born with a notably small penis, or with a scrotum that is divided so that it has formed more like labia. Or a person may be born with mosaic genetics, so that some of her cells have XX chromosomes and some of them have XY.
The Drought
Interesting article on modern desalination and it's drawbacks. They are still opening a new $1Billion desalination plant for Southern California this year.
LA Times: Desalination plants aren't a good solution for California drought
LA Times: Desalination plants aren't a good solution for California drought
Friday, April 24, 2015
Plausible
I tried to track down more info on this article and there have been a few similar studies reported over the past few years. Seriously though, does anybody think it's not really true and I'm talking about mature adults not teens. A mature adult who is so incensed that they have to go out of their way to go all negative on gay people always appears to me as someone who is somewhat sexually obsessed and looking for an excuse to 'stay in touch' with the issue.
You Ready Grandma: Harvard Study Reveals that All Homophobic People are Gay
You Ready Grandma: Harvard Study Reveals that All Homophobic People are Gay
Phenoms
These guys totally kick musical ass.
Techno Subway ..
Posted by Hardcore Til I Die on Tuesday, March 10, 2015
GOP Governors - Incompetence Galore
These guys think they now deserve the presidency? What a joke, they've done hideous work, their states are floundering, that's the bottom line.
Salon: Scott Walker, forever tarnished: Republican governors have tanked the GOP brand - Walker, Christie and Jindal were supposed to show off GOP's deep bench. They highlighted incompetence instead by Paul Rosenberg
Salon: Scott Walker, forever tarnished: Republican governors have tanked the GOP brand - Walker, Christie and Jindal were supposed to show off GOP's deep bench. They highlighted incompetence instead by Paul Rosenberg
The Market On Friday
Good morning. It is 37 degrees and the Sun is making lots of gains in the last hour here in the Upper Hudson Valley. The cool trend continues for another day and then the forecast is saying it warms up over the weekend. As I am probably categorized as a liberal progressive, I normally find very little of value in the policy trends of the GOP especially in the GOP period from Reagan onward. However I tend to think that it is best to find the positive in people. It is very easy to look for flaws and negative traits in people but mentally I try to look for the positive. I would rather feed the positive wolf rather than the negative wolf. So there is the conflict, liberal versus conservatives etc where we find flaws and only flaws in the 'dark' side of politics. I think it's best to limit the criticism to the policy, and I will readily admit that I often go further and wonder what kind of person could possibly come up with these destructive policies. It's hard to separate the result from the intention with the idea that the intention is highly flawed at the root. See I have GOP friends and bottom line, they're great people. I'll continue to chew it over.
At 8:45 a.m. ET futures are flat and the price of oil per barrel is slightly lower. The market is poised to open in the flat area give or take a bit.
Earnings season is in full bloom and high tech and the NASDAQ are really rolling. Most corporations have beaten Wall Street earnings expectations, however it is the second quarter where future hesitation sets in. Companies are dong all sorts of tricks at the moment to make the balance sheets look good including cutting down on dividends, especially in oil companies. That can't go on forever and so the thought is that the piper will be payed in the second quarter barring unforeseen changes. Enjoy the weekend.
CNN: Stocks: 6 things to know before the open
At 8:45 a.m. ET futures are flat and the price of oil per barrel is slightly lower. The market is poised to open in the flat area give or take a bit.
Earnings season is in full bloom and high tech and the NASDAQ are really rolling. Most corporations have beaten Wall Street earnings expectations, however it is the second quarter where future hesitation sets in. Companies are dong all sorts of tricks at the moment to make the balance sheets look good including cutting down on dividends, especially in oil companies. That can't go on forever and so the thought is that the piper will be payed in the second quarter barring unforeseen changes. Enjoy the weekend.
CNN: Stocks: 6 things to know before the open
Amazon stock is surging -- up about 7% premarket -- after the company reported a big jump in quarterly sales. Despite the higher revenue, the online retail giant ultimately lost money over the first three months of the year.
Thursday, April 23, 2015
The Market On Thursday
Good morning. It is a cool 40 degrees with sunshine here in the Upper Hudson Valley. It looks like we are having a slight cooling trend today with the temperature only going up into the high 40s. In spite of the present coolness the buds on the trees are very ripe. The crab apples in my backyard are just about ready to open their beautiful pinkish red early leaves. The grass continues to get greener, it's a great time of the year simply to enjoy nature going through rapid changes.
At 8:30 a.m. ET futures are moderately lower and the price of oil per barrel is slightly higher. The market is poised to open lower.
There's a little turbulence in the system today surrounding slightly weaker manufacturing data out of powerhouse China. Otherwise investors will continue to see a steady stream of first quarter corporate reports today. From Reuters: Initial claims for state unemployment benefits increased 1,000 to a seasonally adjusted 295,000 for the week...
CNN: Stocks: 5 things to know before the open
At 8:30 a.m. ET futures are moderately lower and the price of oil per barrel is slightly higher. The market is poised to open lower.
There's a little turbulence in the system today surrounding slightly weaker manufacturing data out of powerhouse China. Otherwise investors will continue to see a steady stream of first quarter corporate reports today. From Reuters: Initial claims for state unemployment benefits increased 1,000 to a seasonally adjusted 295,000 for the week...
CNN: Stocks: 5 things to know before the open
At 10 a.m., the Census Bureau will release data on new home sales in March.
The HSBC flash PMI index that tracks manufacturing activity in China fell to a 12-month low on Thursday, indicating continued weakness in the world's second largest economy.
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Tactic No 6
A friend posted an article on how none of the GOP/conservative candidates for the presidency will admit that there is global warming. Thinking about this I have another argument that you might want to consider using or modifying as needed. It goes like this -
These conservatives are the most arrogant people out there. They're saying - 'I'm omniscient, I know everything, I don't need expert advice, scientific or otherwise'. Now who would want that kind of leader? I want leaders who will listen to expert advice on all topics from economics to computers to poverty to job creation to the environment and more. These guys are saying they don't need experts, they already know everything. How pathetic, how arrogant.
The Drought
CBS News: Crazy and not-so-crazy ideas for solving the California drought
The state is, however, moving ahead with a $25 billion Bay Delta Conservation Plan that includes the construction of two tunnels that would pump water from Northern California to the southern part of the state.
The Market On Wednesday
Good morning. It is 47 degrees and the sun is really trying to come out here in the Upper Hudson Valley. We could get more rain today but then the forecast is all smooth sailing for the rest of the week. We've been looking into buying a new car, ugh. Today I need to check out financing with my bank. Some people are real motor heads but cars are in my opinion one of the least interesting things in the world. I feel like an outcast in America - not into cars, detest football, and hotdogs are repulsive and barbaric in concept.
At 8:40 a.m. ET futures are moderately lower and the price of oil per barrel is slightly down now trading around $56.35. The market is poised to open lower.
According to the CNN article a foiled attempt by terrorists to bomb either one or two churches in France is causing a disturbance in today's futures. Otherwise it is full third quarter corporate report season and so far the news has been positive for investors.
CNN: Stocks: 5 things to know before the open
At 8:40 a.m. ET futures are moderately lower and the price of oil per barrel is slightly down now trading around $56.35. The market is poised to open lower.
According to the CNN article a foiled attempt by terrorists to bomb either one or two churches in France is causing a disturbance in today's futures. Otherwise it is full third quarter corporate report season and so far the news has been positive for investors.
CNN: Stocks: 5 things to know before the open
U.S. stock futures suffered an early fall after France said it had foiled a new terrorist plot to attack "one or two churches."
"The sell-off took place on the back of the terrorist news ... and this caused a little bit of panic in the market..."
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
ISIS Gains
Guardian UK: 'It's God's gift.' Isis fills coffers with 'taxed' Iraqi government cash - Isis is growing rich by seizing government wages and ‘taxing’ businesses in the parts of Iraq and Syria it controls, according to a BBC investigation
“There’s a business opportunity, there’s a need for both of them. The Assad regime needs the oil, Isis needs the cash and they’re willing to do business even as they’re fighting each other.”
Agbogbloshie
As Earth Day approaches, let's take at look at some of the worst of the worst.
Here's an article and camera shot from Agbogbloshie.
Agbogbloshie is a former wetland and suburb of Accra, Ghana
Silverleaf: Agbogbloshie – A Toxic E-Wasteland
Here's an article and camera shot from Agbogbloshie.
Agbogbloshie is a former wetland and suburb of Accra, Ghana
Silverleaf: Agbogbloshie – A Toxic E-Wasteland
Baotou, Inner Mongolia
The area is gaining the distinction as the worst place on Earth for it's unbelievable level of industrial pollution.
BBC: The dystopian lake filled by the world’s tech lust by Tim Maughan
BBC: The dystopian lake filled by the world’s tech lust by Tim Maughan
The Drought
Barring a severe change whereby it started to rain a lot and for a long period of time, California has got to get crackin here. Shatner's got it right.
LA Times: William Shatner: Solve California drought with Seattle pipeline
LA Times: William Shatner: Solve California drought with Seattle pipeline
Who Knew
AlterNet: 6 Little-Known Facts About Nipples - Whether they're big and bouncy or cute and pert, breasts - and their nipples - have a lot in common. By Ducky Doolittle
1 in 18 males and 1 in about 50 females have extra nipples. And a very select numbers of people have as many five or six nipples.
The Market On Tuesday
Good morning. It is 52 degrees and rainy here in the Upper Hudson Valley. It's looks like we are in for a few days of rain. Well the good old yellow forsythia are popping out, I saw them making gains yesterday. The tree leaf buds are getting riper and riper and I expect to see the dogwoods and magnolias make their glorious and brief blooms very soon. Meanwhile the latest poll has Hillary crushing the GOP opposition no matter who she is up against. It's way too far away from the election to take the polling seriously. I suspect someone out there has put together a history of how these early polls worked out in previous elections. Now that would be interesting information.
At 8:30 a.m. ET futures are moderately higher and the price of oil per barrel is down now just above $56 for light crude. The market is poised to open higher.
Today it's happy days are here again. Corporate reports are rolling in and the news is strong so the market is reacting favorably. That's the present story. Yes there are plenty of calamitous world events gnawing away in the background and the foreground but the bottom line is profit.
CNN: Stocks: 4 things to know before the open
At 8:30 a.m. ET futures are moderately higher and the price of oil per barrel is down now just above $56 for light crude. The market is poised to open higher.
Today it's happy days are here again. Corporate reports are rolling in and the news is strong so the market is reacting favorably. That's the present story. Yes there are plenty of calamitous world events gnawing away in the background and the foreground but the bottom line is profit.
CNN: Stocks: 4 things to know before the open
"(regarding Greece) Several very large payments are due at the end of April and in May, which are making people nervous about the prospect of default..."
Monday, April 20, 2015
Ready Or Not
I can't recall a candidate who has raised the ire of the GOP to the point of absurdity so much and for such a long period of time as Hillary. As bad as it is now with the crazy attacks on Obama, I think we're in for an even greater level of partisan GOP craziness if Hillary gets in. Obama is just a warm up for the GOP.
NBC News: Clinton Says She's 'Ready' For Republican Attacks
NBC News: Clinton Says She's 'Ready' For Republican Attacks
Global Warming - Rubio
At this point, how can our leaders be so willfully dense. This is ridiculous.
Mashable: Marco Rubio doubts manmade global warming, says 'climate is always changing'
Mashable: Marco Rubio doubts manmade global warming, says 'climate is always changing'
Tar
Curious thing, with the heroin outbreak mowing through our society, I do not see public service messages explaining why one needs to avoid the drug.
Salon: Heroin is a white-people problem: Bad medicine, economic rot and the enterprising Mexican town that turned the Heartland on to black tar - The new American junkie is white, suburban or rural, and got hooked on Xalisco's product and personalized service by Laura Miller
Salon: Heroin is a white-people problem: Bad medicine, economic rot and the enterprising Mexican town that turned the Heartland on to black tar - The new American junkie is white, suburban or rural, and got hooked on Xalisco's product and personalized service by Laura Miller
The Market On Monday
Good morning. It is 44 degrees and lightly raining here in the Upper Hudson Valley. The forecast is predicting a few days of rain. I hope you had a good weekend. I did a lot of walking on Saturday and Sunday. Circumstances beyond our control, mainly the need for a new alternator, put the car in the garage for repairs over the weekend and so the way to get chores done was with some pleasant errand walking around town. I recommend it. Walk to the drug store and supermarket, it's okay, you can do it. We brought backpacks, bought a few necessities, and walked it home.
At 8:15 a.m. ET futures are moderately higher and the price of oil per barrel is down trading just below $55. The market is poised to open lower.
One must presume that the bevy of first quarter corporate reports is pleasing to the investor's senses. The market is continuing to boom. With OPEC announcing an increase in oil production, the recent rise in oil may be fizzling, but who the hell knows. Notice how China's central bank is emulating America's Fed. The people who want to abolish the Fed need to review basic monetary policy. Springtime is here, enjoy the greenery.
CNN: Stocks: 4 things to know before the open
At 8:15 a.m. ET futures are moderately higher and the price of oil per barrel is down trading just below $55. The market is poised to open lower.
One must presume that the bevy of first quarter corporate reports is pleasing to the investor's senses. The market is continuing to boom. With OPEC announcing an increase in oil production, the recent rise in oil may be fizzling, but who the hell knows. Notice how China's central bank is emulating America's Fed. The people who want to abolish the Fed need to review basic monetary policy. Springtime is here, enjoy the greenery.
CNN: Stocks: 4 things to know before the open
The (Chinese) central bank is allowing large banks to hold lower levels of cash reserves, which should free up money for banks to lend out into the economy.
Sunday, April 19, 2015
Read This
nybooks.com: Age of Ignorance by Charles Simic
The hucksters, who manipulate them for the powerful financial interests, know that they can be made to believe anything, because, to the ignorant and the bigoted, lies always sound better than truth:
Christians are persecuted in this country.
The government is coming to get your guns.
Obama is a Muslim.
Global Warming is a hoax.
The president is forcing open homosexuality on the military.
Schools push a left-wing agenda.
Social Security is an entitlement, no different from welfare.
Obama hates white people.
The life on earth is 10,000 years old and so is the universe.
The safety net contributes to poverty.
The government is taking money from you and giving it to sex-crazed college women to pay for their birth control.
Joke Of The Week
Target is correct, the GOP has placed a huge target on the middle class for annihilation. They've been at it for a long time. Anyone who believes the insane idea that the GOP is now somehow out to improve the middle class is completely out of touch with reality. The GOP is the scourge of the middle class.
Reuters: Republican hopefuls target middle-class insecurity as economy improves
Reuters: Republican hopefuls target middle-class insecurity as economy improves
The Drought
The news about this massive drought is not getting any better. Truth is William Shatner's call for a billion dollar water pipeline was pretty much the best suggestion I've read in a while. It strikes me that water restrictions are good but not the answer, the answer is simply more water and an honest restriction of the businesses that use the most amount of water - cattle raising is at the top of the list along with bottling water plants. Somebody's got to get this going, time is dwindling as fast as the water.
Bloomberg: Dry Wells Plague California as Drought Has Water Tables Plunging
Bloomberg: Dry Wells Plague California as Drought Has Water Tables Plunging
Saturday, April 18, 2015
Brawling Clowns
Okay, we've all been around the block a few times but I do not recall ever reading a headline quite like this one.
NBC: Clowns Brawl With Protesters Under Circus Big Top in San Bernardino - Hundreds of spectators watched the fight break out when workers allegedly tried to stop the activists from forcing their way inside By Michael Larkin
NBC: Clowns Brawl With Protesters Under Circus Big Top in San Bernardino - Hundreds of spectators watched the fight break out when workers allegedly tried to stop the activists from forcing their way inside By Michael Larkin
Do Not Feed
In case you have not noticed, more and more cities are making it illegal to feed homeless people. The skewered 'logic' that would produce such a law has lost its fundamental connection to humanity.
News 4 San Antonio: Chef cited by police for feeding homeless
News 4 San Antonio: Chef cited by police for feeding homeless
Sweden
I have not looked at any 'official' numbers or anything like that but it seems that rape is increasing throughout the world. This is very discouraging as rape is the most brutal form of violence.
Gatestone Institute: Sweden: Rape Capital of the West by Ingrid Carlqvist and Lars Hedegaard
Gatestone Institute: Sweden: Rape Capital of the West by Ingrid Carlqvist and Lars Hedegaard
(In Sweden) violent crime has increased by 300% and rapes by 1,472%. Sweden is now number two on the list of rape countries, surpassed only by Lesotho in Southern Africa.
Friday, April 17, 2015
Pat Robertson - Gays Will Force You To Like Anal Sex
Yes, he actually said that and it's on the clip.
Nitrogen Asphyxiation
NPR: Oklahoma Approves Nitrogen Asphyxiation For Executions
From Wiki:
From Wiki:
According to the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, in humans, “breathing an oxygen deficient atmosphere can have serious and immediate effects, including unconsciousness after only one or two breaths. The exposed person has no warning and cannot sense that the oxygen level is too low.”
The Market On Friday
Good morning. It is 54 degrees, cloudy, and damp here in the Upper Hudson Valley. Rain is in store for much of the coming week. We see that computer terminals for Bloomberg blacked out this morning, all over the world no less. It's interesting that this makes it to the news. While you weren't looking, computers have become sacrosanct. Do not F with the computer. Maybe it's espionage, or worse - computer terrorism...
At 8:50 a.m. ET futures are significantly lower and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open lower.
This last week saw the rise in oil prices now with light crude around $56 a barrel. OPEC on the other hand is producing more oil than ever so the wars and battle for control of the oil supply goes on. The companies/countries that can profit from high quantities at low prices are moving into the neighborhood. Check out Netflix, the company is rocking and simultaneously cornering the bandwidth market. More and more of the internet is clogged up by Netflix. Have a great weekend.
CNN: Stocks: Six things to know before the open
At 8:50 a.m. ET futures are significantly lower and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open lower.
This last week saw the rise in oil prices now with light crude around $56 a barrel. OPEC on the other hand is producing more oil than ever so the wars and battle for control of the oil supply goes on. The companies/countries that can profit from high quantities at low prices are moving into the neighborhood. Check out Netflix, the company is rocking and simultaneously cornering the bandwidth market. More and more of the internet is clogged up by Netflix. Have a great weekend.
CNN: Stocks: Six things to know before the open
Worth over $500 a share, Netflix is the best performer by far in the S&P 500 this year, with analysts expecting further growth.
Unemployment in U.K. fell to 5.6% in February, the lowest since 2008.
Thursday, April 16, 2015
Carly
Once upon a time, somewhere in another dimension and universe, trillions of years into the past or present, a queen is born...
NYT: Carly Fiorina Makes Case That She Could Offset Hillary Clinton
NYT: Carly Fiorina Makes Case That She Could Offset Hillary Clinton
Iran Repost
The Intercept: Seven Things You Didn’t Know the U.S. and Its Allies Did to Iran By Jon Schwarz
4. We were cool with Saudi Arabia giving Saddam $5 billion to build nukes during the Iran-Iraq war
Global Warming - Record Heat, Again
Mashable: Rapid warming period may be underway as Earth sets another record
March was the warmest such month on record for the globe as a whole, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency...
The Neocons Are Back, Iran Is In The Gun Sight
The neocons have wanted to invade Iran for a few decades now, so this Iran talk is not new at all. What the neocons are seizing on is GOP power in the Senate and Congress along with the unrelenting attack on Obama to wedge the issue into an actuality. They also want Jeb in the White House and let's simply pray that never happens. I suspect that Hillary may not be so quick to war in Iran but there are possibilities that could arise that would push that misery down our throats Hillary or not. For example - look for another 9-11 where the cause is some alleged Iranian terrorist outfit hell bent on Sharia Law. One of the things I personally despise about this is having to watch Bolton's floppy mustache wagging on TV all the time.
AlterNet: Cheerleaders of War with Iraq Now Boosting War with Iran - What a surprise. By Hunter at DailyKos
AlterNet: Cheerleaders of War with Iraq Now Boosting War with Iran - What a surprise. By Hunter at DailyKos
The Market On Thursday
Good morning. It is 45 degrees and mostly sunny here in the Upper Hudson Valley. It looks like we are in for a fine Spring day and man have we earned it. The debate continues in the liberal circles about why one might vote for Hillary as opposed to perhaps not voting at all or voting Green Party etc. In NY it will not matter, as Hillary will win in this almost predictably blue state. An awful lot of people would have to deliberately stay away from the booths to allow Bush to capture NY. So location is one issue. I will vote for Hillary primarily because of her stance on the social issues - abortion, gay marriage, SSI, medicare, immigration, etc. However I am not foolish enough to believe that her presidency will drastically change the landscape for the middle class and the poor. And let's admit it, the middle class is slipping more and more towards poor. Also Hillary is a hawk, she would have no problem with another war/conflict/drone strike asymmetrical attack in country X,Y, or Z. Also I fully expect Hillary to bow before Wall Street, talk the talk on global warming yet continue in the corporate quest to make the USA the world's number one oil producer. Let's just get realistic, there's no other choice outside of our own personal understanding about how to literally exist in the world and how we can go about living in that personal manner.
At 8:45 a.m. ET futures are modestly lower and the price of oil per barrel is down from a peak of around $56 for light crude, a 2015 record high, set on Wednesday. The market is poised to open lower.
Follow the oil. Oil is at the center of the entire Wall Street picture with just a few other strong competitors - pharmaceuticals perhaps, maybe some high tech. The government is saying that first time unemployment numbers were at 294,000 for the last week. Employment is improving but the quality of jobs and salaries excepting those at Goldman Sachs remain low. Corporate results continue to come in on the positive side.
CNN: Stocks: 5 things to know before the open
At 8:45 a.m. ET futures are modestly lower and the price of oil per barrel is down from a peak of around $56 for light crude, a 2015 record high, set on Wednesday. The market is poised to open lower.
Follow the oil. Oil is at the center of the entire Wall Street picture with just a few other strong competitors - pharmaceuticals perhaps, maybe some high tech. The government is saying that first time unemployment numbers were at 294,000 for the last week. Employment is improving but the quality of jobs and salaries excepting those at Goldman Sachs remain low. Corporate results continue to come in on the positive side.
CNN: Stocks: 5 things to know before the open
Crude is slipping back in electronic trading to just below $56 a barrel after hitting a 2015 high on Wednesday.
OPEC releases its monthly report March Thursday, on the heels of an update from the International Energy Agency which showed the cartel is fighting hard to keep its share of the world oil market despite last year's price slump.
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
'This Tea Party Patriot May Vote For Hillary'
If you get a chance, watch this on the Youtube site and read the comments. I was surprised by what I saw - lots of support for this guy and similar messages from other GOPers.
Women
There's was an article a few years ago that had the figures for the median wealth of a black woman aged 36 to 49 at $5.
CNN: Women nearly twice as likely to retire in poverty
CNN: Women nearly twice as likely to retire in poverty
The Market On Wednesday
Good morning. It is 49 degrees and sunny here in the Upper Hudson Valley. A beautiful warmish bright clear day is expected. I hope everyone has gotten their taxes prepared and sent out. April 15th is a real marker point in the year, tax season is over, we continue to shake off the hibernation of the Winter, and we start setting our sights more and more on the nice weather. I sent out my taxes yesterday, first time in quite a while where I was 'early'. Time has taught me to not fret about it so much and this year it was relatively painless for a change even though the accounts were basically the same as previous years. It's all about attitude.
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 higher.
It looks like it will be quite a busy day for investors. There's a ton of quarterly reports, data in from China, the Eurozone Central Bank is chiming in on interest rates, and the Fed is issuing its Beige Book Report. Overall the market seems healthy, everything is percolating even oil is making its slow rise and something seems to be saying that $60 per barrel for light crude could be in the near future. We shall see.
CNN: Stocks: 5 things to know before the open
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 higher.
It looks like it will be quite a busy day for investors. There's a ton of quarterly reports, data in from China, the Eurozone Central Bank is chiming in on interest rates, and the Fed is issuing its Beige Book Report. Overall the market seems healthy, everything is percolating even oil is making its slow rise and something seems to be saying that $60 per barrel for light crude could be in the near future. We shall see.
CNN: Stocks: 5 things to know before the open
The European Central Bank is expected leave interest rates at ultra-low levels when it delivers a policy update later Wednesday.
The Federal Reserve will publish its Beige Book report on the economy at 2 p.m. ET.
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
TRNN - Senator Marco Rubio Unveils His Candidacy And Platform For 'A New American Century'
Curious that Rubio is using the name of the PNAC neocons of 2000, the people who brought us the Iraq war and all its consequent failures. PNAC stands for Project For A New American Century.
Global Warming - The Amazon
Terrible news, this is bad.
Wired: Global Warming Is Already Clobbering the Amazon
Wired: Global Warming Is Already Clobbering the Amazon
Every year, the world’s largest rainforest cycles through 18 billion tons of carbon per year as its 6 million square kilometers of trees breathe in carbon dioxide and release it back into the atmosphere when they die. That’s more than twice as much carbon as fossil fuels emit all over the world. Mess with this system and the consequences will reverberate around the world.
The Market On Tuesday
Good morning. It is 51 degrees and cloudy here in the Upper Hudson Valley. The forecast has the sun peaking out at some point and the temperature going up into the high 60s. Okay, Spring is here, we are starting to believe. The backyard is very slowly beginning to green up and the tree buds are looking very ripe. The winter planning for the garden is starting to move from the concept stage to the actual doing it stage. This year I will paint this old house, slowly but surely. The house pre-dates the vinyl siding era by several miles and I like painted houses.
At 8:40 a.m. ET futures are flat and the price of oil is slightly higher. The market is poised to open in the flat area.
Notice that light crude is creeping up in price per barrel now approaching $53. Hmm, just saying. It is quarterly report time and one suspects that heavyweight companies will beat expectations. Just watching TV gives you a sense of it all with tons of commercials for luxury cars and drugs. Somebody out there has some dough to burn.
CNN: Stocks: 4 things to know before the open
At 8:40 a.m. ET futures are flat and the price of oil is slightly higher. The market is poised to open in the flat area.
Notice that light crude is creeping up in price per barrel now approaching $53. Hmm, just saying. It is quarterly report time and one suspects that heavyweight companies will beat expectations. Just watching TV gives you a sense of it all with tons of commercials for luxury cars and drugs. Somebody out there has some dough to burn.
CNN: Stocks: 4 things to know before the open
The International Monetary Fund is launching its influential "World Economic Outlook" report at 9 a.m. ET. The IMF uses this biannual report to forecast economic trends around the globe.
Monday, April 13, 2015
Cruz Control
I've posted on this before. Cruz doesn't have a chance but he has enough financial backing to make a mess out of the race. This may be a good thing in the long run because all he can really do is drum up the Christian Conservative/Tea wing while alienating everyone else on both sides. Cruz will divide and conquer the GOP.
MSNBC: Meet Ted Cruz’s billionaire
MSNBC: Meet Ted Cruz’s billionaire
Itinerary
Keep safe Hillary, nutville is coming apart at the seems...
Guardian UK: Hillary Clinton's journey to Iowa: 1,000-mile road trip in a 'Scooby-Doo' van - Itinerary unclear for Democratic frontrunner, who has nicknamed her van ‘Scooby’, as she looks to put human touch on nascent presidential campaign
Guardian UK: Hillary Clinton's journey to Iowa: 1,000-mile road trip in a 'Scooby-Doo' van - Itinerary unclear for Democratic frontrunner, who has nicknamed her van ‘Scooby’, as she looks to put human touch on nascent presidential campaign
Running Scared?
This writer, Jeffrey Tayler, has done some nice work on the Conservative Christian movement in our country. I used to think that Maher was actually kind of not so deep really. His humor is rather general and in a way kind of adolescent. But hey that's just me. Lately I've changed my view, I appreciate his work more. I watch him regularly also because we just got HBO in a cheaper cable package.
Salon: Bill Maher terrifies Bill O’Reilly: An atheist has the Fox News host running scared - What flabbergasts O’Reilly and Coulter is nonbelievers are no longer keeping mum about Christianity's rank stupidity by Jeffrey Tayler
Salon: Bill Maher terrifies Bill O’Reilly: An atheist has the Fox News host running scared - What flabbergasts O’Reilly and Coulter is nonbelievers are no longer keeping mum about Christianity's rank stupidity by Jeffrey Tayler
The Market On Monday
Good morning. It is 49 degrees and hazy sunny here in the Upper Hudson Valley. Like yesterday it looks like we are in for another day in the 70s. I hope you had a good refreshing weekend. I did, lots of good walking, good food, relaxing. You know you can do things, all kinds of things like work, practice this and that, even go about your life, with either a sense of stress and hardness and traditional American overworking or you can do things with a sense of ease and joy perhaps, maybe even smiling while you do it. We get this idea that we have to work so hard in a joyless way, I say screw that. If you want to be happy go about your life with ease and do the things that make you forget that it's work. Enough preaching - sorry. I'm talking to myself here.
At 8:45 a.m. ET futures are moderately lower and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open lower.
I have to say I'm somewhat surprised by the price of oil lately. It's been floating in the $49 to $52 range for about a week. That number is much greater than what I expected and where it probably will go. I think oil is still going to dive further, certainly I could be wrong but with Iran entering the global oil market - one word, oversupply.
CNN: Stocks: 4 things to know before the open
At 8:45 a.m. ET futures are moderately lower and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open lower.
I have to say I'm somewhat surprised by the price of oil lately. It's been floating in the $49 to $52 range for about a week. That number is much greater than what I expected and where it probably will go. I think oil is still going to dive further, certainly I could be wrong but with Iran entering the global oil market - one word, oversupply.
CNN: Stocks: 4 things to know before the open
Crude futures are pushing higher Monday, up by about 1.5% to trade around $52 per barrel.
Oil prices have been volatile over the past week as traders consider how much excess supply could come onto the market if world powers drop their sanctions on Iran.
Sunday, April 12, 2015
All In
Is this prospect working for you, it's either Hillary or Jeb.
NYT: Hillary Clinton Announces 2016 Presidential Bid By AMY CHOZICK
NYT: Hillary Clinton Announces 2016 Presidential Bid By AMY CHOZICK
NRA Convention
ThinkProgess: ‘Professor Of Killology’ To NRA Convention: ‘Sandy Hook Is Just The Beginning’ by Kira Lerner
A 2012 Mother Jones analysis of 61 mass murders over the last 30 years found that “in not a single case was the killing stopped by a civilian using a gun.”
Places To Move To, With President Cruz/Paul/Bush/Christie/Walker
Guardian UK: New Zealand's rock star economy takes centre stage as currency climbs - New Zealand is going to remain strong economically, says one economist, as the NZ dollar moves towards parity with the Australian dollar
The New Zealand economy is outperforming every other Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) economy.
Saturday, April 11, 2015
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