“Whether it’s putting air-to-air missiles on planes or putting in surface-to-air missiles, those are things that are clearly not about ISIL, as ISIL doesn’t have any aircraft,” Davis said. “So far it has not had any impact on our operations [over Syria] but it's certainly something we're aware of, particularly with the surface-to-air missiles."
Monday, November 30, 2015
Now What
Military Times: New Russian surface-to-air missiles in Syria, DoD confirms
Sovereign
Southern Poverty Law Center: Sovereign Citizens Movement
The strange subculture of the sovereign citizens movement, whose adherents hold truly bizarre, complex antigovernment beliefs, has been growing at a fast pace since the late 2000s. Sovereigns believe that they get to decide which laws to obey and which to ignore, and they don't think they should have to pay taxes.
Doubling Down
Chicago Tribune: With Donald Trump, GOP doubles down on anger
“Basically, Trump is what would happen if the comments section became a human and ran for president.”
Could Be, One Can Only Hope
WaPo: Why 2016 could be shattering for Republicans
The United States is emerging out of its revolutions as racially blended, immigrant, multinational and multilingual — and diversity is becoming more central to our multicultural identity.
Paris Climate Talks
NPR: 10 Things To Know About The U.N. Climate Talks In Paris
9. What are the big fights going on in the negotiations?
Besides arguing over how much rich nations should pay the poor, there are some nations that simply are not excited about a zero carbon future. Oil- and gas-producing countries, for example, aren't so keen to leave their valuable assets in the ground. Another hot-button issue is "loss and damage." That's the idea that there should be some mechanism to compensate the citizens of places that simply cannot adapt to climate change — for example, small island states that could disappear under rising seas.
Outstanding Book
Amazon: The Art Of Memoir by Mary Karr
Anchored by excerpts from her favorite memoirs and anecdotes from fellow writers’ experience, The Art of Memoir lays bare Karr’s own process. (Plus all those inside stories about how she dealt with family and friends get told— and the dark spaces in her own skull probed in depth.) As she breaks down the key elements of great literary memoir, she breaks open our concepts of memory and identity, and illuminates the cathartic power of reflecting on the past; anybody with an inner life or complicated history, whether writer or reader, will relate.
Cruz
Raw Story: Ted Cruz says Planned Parenthood terrorist was ‘transgendered leftist activist’
“It’s also been reported that he was registered as an independent and a woman and transgendered leftist activist, if that’s what he is. I don’t think it’s fair to blame the rhetoric on the left. This is a murderer.”
How Snakes Lost Their Legs
Science Daily: Mystery of how snakes lost their legs solved by reptile fossil
summary - Fresh analysis of a reptile fossil is helping scientists solve an evolutionary puzzle -- how snakes lost their limbs. The findings show snakes did not lose their limbs in order to live in the sea, as was previously suggested.
Tee Off
MSNBC: Democrats tee off on Trump
After mentioning Trump’s name in another context, Clinton referred to his recent apparent support for a database of Muslim Americans. “That’s not who we are and besides, that is not smart law enforcement techniques,” she said. “We cannot give into the fear mongers who say we are at war with Islam.”
'Classic Active Shooter Protocol'
Guardian UK: Planned Parenthood officials: 'These doors stay open' after Colorado shooting - Contrary to speculation, clinics are not built like ‘fortresses’, leaders say - Clinic ‘followed classic active shooter protocol’ during attack
When the shooting started, Planned Parenthood staff and patients got to the back of the building as quickly as they could. They called 911, locked themselves in rooms and quieted their cell phones.
“We live in an area where there are tornadoes, so we do tornado drills,” she said. “We live in this country, so we do active shooter drills.”
Paris, A Lick, And A Prayer
Guardian UK: Obama calls Paris climate talks an 'act of defiance' in wake of recent attacks - US president salutes French people for going ahead with crucial climate talks in his address to heads of state on first day of the conference
The Paris talks are seen as a last chance for coordinated global action on climate change under the UN. If these talks fail to produce an agreement, the world will be left without an international commitment to prevent dangerous levels of global warming.
Paris, Climate Talks
Center For American Progress: Paris: The New Geopolitics of Climate Change by Gwynne Taraska
A common argument against the United States pursuing domestic emissions reductions or providing international climate finance is that these efforts will be ineffectual against a backdrop of exponentially increasing emissions from fast-developing economies. Any force that argument once had is draining in the face of climate action from developing countries.
The Market On Monday
Good morning. It is 26 degrees and hazy sunny here in the Upper Hudson Valley. A mostly sunny day with temperatures in the 40s is expected. I hope you had a good weekend. I kept myself well insulated from the news on Sunday, a new ritual that I use to reclaim my humanity - just kidding. As we race towards the next series of holidays, let's see what sort of mischief humanity can get itself into this week. Based on all previous weeks, no doubt we are in for many jaw dropping surprises. Humanity has an infinite capacity for inflicting pain on itself.
At 8:50 a.m. ET futures are slightly higher and the price of oil is up, now trading just above $42 per barrel. The market is poised to open slightly higher.
The week will be peppered with some very serious meetings globally. We've got Paris, OPEC, the IMF, and the EU all determining the fate in one way or another of the planet's future. I do not expect a whole lot from any of it, the future will no doubt bring more of the same as the world's elite wrestle with strategies to eliminate the middle classes and funnel the world's wealth into their cunning little hands. Meanwhile expect the confused, befuddled, and poorest beings of the world to enact more mind boggling violence. Just a quick reminder, there is a lot of good stuff out there.
CNN: Stocks: 6 things to know before the open
At 8:50 a.m. ET futures are slightly higher and the price of oil is up, now trading just above $42 per barrel. The market is poised to open slightly higher.
The week will be peppered with some very serious meetings globally. We've got Paris, OPEC, the IMF, and the EU all determining the fate in one way or another of the planet's future. I do not expect a whole lot from any of it, the future will no doubt bring more of the same as the world's elite wrestle with strategies to eliminate the middle classes and funnel the world's wealth into their cunning little hands. Meanwhile expect the confused, befuddled, and poorest beings of the world to enact more mind boggling violence. Just a quick reminder, there is a lot of good stuff out there.
CNN: Stocks: 6 things to know before the open
Finally, OPEC is set to meet on Friday to discuss its strategy for next year. There's likely to be heated discussion about its policy of maintaining high production to protect the oil cartel's market share despite low oil prices.
Saturday, November 28, 2015
Thinking
A more mainstream non-judgmental type of article on Trump's supporters.
MSNBC: What Trump supporters think about race and religion
MSNBC: What Trump supporters think about race and religion
The Fringe Establishment
WaPo: How Donald Trump courted the right-wing fringe to conquer the GOP
But in fact, Trump spent years methodically building and buying support for himself in a vast, right-wing counter-establishment — one that exists entirely outside the old party infrastructure and is quickly becoming just as powerful.
Trump’s fantastical perspective was being accepted as reality in the Fringe Establishment, and the consequences were real.
The Balkan Route
Journal-Advocate: The epic migration story
...first by foot and bus, out of Syria, through Turkey. "And into that sea, the sea of death," he repeats, visibly shaken. He and his two friends boarded rafts to cross the Aegean Sea into Greece. "Then we searched for trains, and if we couldn't get on, we learned to walk along the rail tracks north."WSWS: Thousands of refugees stuck on the Balkan route
Beyond Gun Deaths
From October - FiveThirtyEight: Murder Rates Don’t Tell Us Everything About Gun Violence
Human Hepatocytes Grown In Lab
Science Daily: Functional human liver cells grown in the lab
summary - A new technique for growing human hepatocytes in the laboratory has now been described by a team of researchers. This groundbreaking development could help advance a variety of liver-related research and applications, from studying drug toxicity to creating bio-artificial liver support for patients awaiting transplantations.
TRNN - Why Didn’t Bush/Cheney Prevent 9/11? - John Kiriakou On Reality Asserts Itself Part 5
I would encourage you to listen to this interview, there's some critical information here about 9/11 that everyone needs to hear.
'Robert Lewis Dear, A 57-Year-Old Man From North Carolina'
Guardian UK: Gunman named in Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood attack - Officials name suspect as Robert Lewis Dear, 57, of North Carolina - Republican criticises Planned Parenthood as search for motive goes on
However, the Republican congressman Adam Kinzinger, of Illinois, criticised Vicki Cowart, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood in the Rocky Mountains, for a statement released on Friday afternoon. In the statement, Cowart said that though the motive for the attack was not known, “extremists are creating a poisonous environment that feeds domestic terrorism in this country”.
Global Warming - Scotland
The Scotsman: Scots flowers face extinction as global warming hits
Some of Scotland’s best-loved flowers are facing extinction as a result of global warming, scientists have warned.
Trump Panic
The Hill: GOP in panic over Trump
Rick Wilson, a Florida GOP strategist who has agreed to help produce TV ads for Mair’s group if it raises funding, told The Hill, “I expected that the other candidates and campaigns would by now have stepped up to knock down Trump’s numbers, and I was wrong. Unlike Donald Trump, I will admit when I have made an error.”
But Wilson added that capsizing the businessman’s chances at this point would require a significant financial effort.
Trump Down
Reuters: Republican Trump drops 12 percentage points in poll: Reuters/Ipsos
Following Carson, Florida Senator Marco Rubio and Texas Senator Ted Cruz are tied for third place, with more than 8 percent each.
Following Rubio and Cruz was former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, with 7 percent.
Signs Of Decay
AlterNet: 5 Depressing Signs America Just Isn't the Country It Used to Be - There exists a common theme amidst these signs of societal decay.
5. One in Four Americans Suffer Mental Illness, Mental Health Facilities Cut by 90%
Friday, November 27, 2015
Global Warming Will Be Faster Than Expected
Science Daily: Global warming will be faster than expected
summary - Global warming will progress faster than what was previously believed. The reason is that greenhouse gas emissions that arise naturally are also affected by increased temperatures. This has been confirmed in a new study that measures natural methane emissions.
The Race To Stupid Land
MSNBC: Republican candidates score abysmally on climate change
The grades, which ran from 0 to 100, were mostly abysmal. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz was the strongest and the wrongest, receiving a grade of 6 points for accuracy. All eight evaluators placed Cruz dead last.
Paris
Guardian UK: Wounded survivors of Paris terror attacks gather at remembrance ceremony - President François Hollande vows to ‘defeat this enemy’, telling traumatised nation: ‘They have a cult of death, but we have a love of life’
At the solemn national ceremony to remember the victims of France’s worst-ever terrorist attacks, more than 2,000 family members and survivors gathered. But many more wounded survivors were still in hospital, several in intensive care, unable to attend.
The Market On Friday
Good morning. It is 51 degrees and relatively sunny here in the Upper Hudson Valley. A sunny day with temperatures in the 60s is expected. After today the forecast is predicting a downturn in temperatures as we race towards Winter. I hope you had a reasonable to outstanding holiday. We certainly did and this year I tried with partial success to limit my feasting. The stomach was still rumbling last night and today I will attempt to clean up my dietary act. The streets are calm this morning with many people taking the day off, shopping and relaxing. On a positive note, I did a good job of staying away from the miserable news on Thursday. Expect to see Christmas decorations very soon.
At 9:00 a.m. ET futures are up and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open higher.
Three things come to mind surrounding today's market activity. First, today is as we know Black Friday, and the shopping frenzy is in full bloom. I stay away from that stuff as it has no appeal to me, I have more than enough junk. Regardless, the market is consumer driven, not people driven, we are consumers in a producing material world and the quantity of goods purchased today will be reflect in the indexes shortly. Second, notice that oil cannot seem to rise above $43 per barrel. OPEC is cranking the stuff out at a glut pace and many believe we will in fact see a further descent of oil prices. How this will effect the struggle between alternatives and carbon based energy is to be determined. Cheap oil tends to inhibit gas mileage and economy in cars, along with power generation. Third, because it is an in-between day, many investors are not working today. When fewer investors work the market tends to be a little more volatile.
CNN: Stocks: 5 things to know before the open
At 9:00 a.m. ET futures are up and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open higher.
Three things come to mind surrounding today's market activity. First, today is as we know Black Friday, and the shopping frenzy is in full bloom. I stay away from that stuff as it has no appeal to me, I have more than enough junk. Regardless, the market is consumer driven, not people driven, we are consumers in a producing material world and the quantity of goods purchased today will be reflect in the indexes shortly. Second, notice that oil cannot seem to rise above $43 per barrel. OPEC is cranking the stuff out at a glut pace and many believe we will in fact see a further descent of oil prices. How this will effect the struggle between alternatives and carbon based energy is to be determined. Cheap oil tends to inhibit gas mileage and economy in cars, along with power generation. Third, because it is an in-between day, many investors are not working today. When fewer investors work the market tends to be a little more volatile.
CNN: Stocks: 5 things to know before the open
Oil prices are falling by more than 2% to around $42 a barrel. OPEC meets a week from today and the cartel is expected to keep pumping crude at full tilt, despite a continuing global glut and the prospect of a sharp increase in Iranian exports next year.
Thursday, November 26, 2015
Loneliness
Science Daily: Loneliness triggers cellular changes that can cause illness, study shows
summary - The serious dangers of loneliness have long been known, but the cellular mechanisms by which loneliness causes adverse health outcomes have not been well understood. Now, a team of researchers has released a study shedding new light on how loneliness triggers physiological responses that can ultimately make us sick.
'If It Looks Like A Duck, Quacks Like A Duck, It's A Duck!'
CNN: Why some conservatives say Trump talk is fascist
Japan Times: Republicans begin calling Trump ‘fascist’ due to remarks
The Week: Donald Trump's alarming skid toward outright fascism
CS Monitor: Is Donald Trump really a 'fascist?' Some in the GOP are beginning to use the term – evocative of the dictatorships of World War II – to describe the billionaire presidential hopeful.
Slate: Donald Trump Is a Fascist - This isn’t a partisan attack. It is the political label that best describes what the GOP front-runner has become.
Japan Times: Republicans begin calling Trump ‘fascist’ due to remarks
The Week: Donald Trump's alarming skid toward outright fascism
CS Monitor: Is Donald Trump really a 'fascist?' Some in the GOP are beginning to use the term – evocative of the dictatorships of World War II – to describe the billionaire presidential hopeful.
Slate: Donald Trump Is a Fascist - This isn’t a partisan attack. It is the political label that best describes what the GOP front-runner has become.
Fascist Dick Move
The Sturmabteilung is back, make no mistake.
Guardian UK: New York Times slams 'outrageous' Donald Trump for mocking reporter's disability - Republican front-runner twisted his arms in apparent imitation of Serge Kovaleski’s arthrogryposis as he reiterated controversial 9/11 claims
Guardian UK: New York Times slams 'outrageous' Donald Trump for mocking reporter's disability - Republican front-runner twisted his arms in apparent imitation of Serge Kovaleski’s arthrogryposis as he reiterated controversial 9/11 claims
Oil
Reuters: Oil eases on glut, production outlook
"OPEC has been extremely explicit that it will not cut production in the face of low prices, and with Iran coming back to the market, it will produce more than 32 million barrels per day..."
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
'Trump's Dangerous Rhetoric'
New Kasich ad comparing Trump to Hitler. Trump is threatening to sue, of course. The first Kasich anti-Trump ad was weak, this one is better. Remember, this ad comes from another Republican who in many ways shares similar positions to Trump.
'Reflect The Worst In Human Nature'
The Seattle Times: Donald Trump’s creeping fascism needs to be rejected
It’s time for Trump’s fellow Republicans to speak truth to narcissism. Race-baiting and xenophobia, ignited by fabrication, reflect the worst in human nature. And Trump’s self-financed platform makes his rhetoric a menace to the social and political health of the nation.
Mars
Science Daily: Mars once had a moderately dense atmosphere - Scientists suggest the fingerprints of early photochemistry provide a solution to the long-standing mystery
summary - Scientists suggest that 3.8 billion years ago, Mars might have had only a moderately dense atmosphere. The scientists have identified a photochemical process that could have helped such an early atmosphere evolve into the current thin one without creating the problem of 'missing' carbon and in a way that is consistent with existing carbon isotopic measurements.
Quintana Roo, Mexico
Guardian UK: Series of femicides cast a dark shadow over Mexico's 'sunshine state' - Horrific murders of Mexican women in region that includes Cancun and Playa del Carmen has community demanding justice
Within the space of three weeks, seven women have been murdered, bringing the total to 18 so far this year. At least two of the victims were strangled, and several had been sexually assaulted before their bodies were dumped in public places. All the women were Mexican.
Laquan McDonald
This video is hard to watch. Whatever was going on in that officer's mind is beyond me. With murder two lives are lost in different ways but still lost, the victim and the perpetrator.
It occurs that the media might consider doing the country a tiny favor by once in a while actually showing a video clip of a perpetrator doing something heinously bad and then being arrested by an officer. We are getting the impression that the police are bad, and that's bad. There are some bad ones yes, but this still does not represent all police. Let's see one video of them truly on the side of law enforcement and protection of the public good.
This runs parallel to all the video we see now of Trump at his rallies and such. Trump is representing 8% of the country, as far as I can tell the most extreme faction of the right. But it sells on TV, the networks garner larger viewing audiences and audiences represent advertising sales and profits. It's messed up as we know.
Guardian UK: Tensions rise in Chicago after release of video showing police killing of Laquan McDonald - Dashcam footage from 2014 killing of 17-year-old released on judge’s order - City confronts new protests after video shows teenager being shot 16 times
It occurs that the media might consider doing the country a tiny favor by once in a while actually showing a video clip of a perpetrator doing something heinously bad and then being arrested by an officer. We are getting the impression that the police are bad, and that's bad. There are some bad ones yes, but this still does not represent all police. Let's see one video of them truly on the side of law enforcement and protection of the public good.
This runs parallel to all the video we see now of Trump at his rallies and such. Trump is representing 8% of the country, as far as I can tell the most extreme faction of the right. But it sells on TV, the networks garner larger viewing audiences and audiences represent advertising sales and profits. It's messed up as we know.
Guardian UK: Tensions rise in Chicago after release of video showing police killing of Laquan McDonald - Dashcam footage from 2014 killing of 17-year-old released on judge’s order - City confronts new protests after video shows teenager being shot 16 times
Global Warming - Reviewing 2015
Climate Central: Global Warming Key Driver of 2015’s Record Heat
"2015 is a climate milestone in several ways. Atmospheric carbon dioxide has now passed 400 [parts per million] for the foreseeable future. It will also be the warmest year on record, primarily because of anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases, with CO2 being the main culprit," Ed Hawkins, a climate scientist at the University of Reading, said in an email.
The average global temperature for 2015 is well ahead of last year, the current titleholder of warmest year. October provided a particularly large boost, with a temperature that was above average by more than any other single month in the past 135 years. By NASA’s reckoning, October was more than a full degree Celsius (nearly 2°F) above the average from 1951-1980, the first month that has ever happened.
Rebecca Gordon On America As A Kleptocracy
Tom Dispatch.com: Tomgram: Rebecca Gordon, Corruption U.S.A.
A top government official with energy industry holdings huddles in secret with oil company executives to work out the details of a potentially lucrative “national energy policy.” Later, that same official steers billions of government dollars to his former oil-field services company. Well-paid elected representatives act with impunity, routinely trading government contracts and other favors for millions of dollars. Meanwhile, ordinary citizens live in fear of venal police forces that suck them dry by charging fees for services, throwing them in jail when they can’t pay arbitrary fines or selling their court “debts” to private companies. Sometimes the police just take people’s life savings leaving them with no recourse whatsoever. Sometimes they steal and deal drugs on the side. Meanwhile, the country’s infrastructure crumbles. Bridges collapse, or take a quarter-century to fix after a natural disaster, or (despite millions spent) turn out not to be fixed at all. Many citizens regard their government at all levels with a weary combination of cynicism and contempt. Fundamentalist groups respond by calling for a return to religious values and the imposition of religious law.
Feasting On Paranoia
AlterNet: 5 Right-Wing Conspiracy Theories as Crazy as Donald Trump's Lie About Muslims Cheering 9/11 - The right wing is full of paranoia.
2. Barack Obama is Malcolm X’s son.
The funny thing about conservatives is that they frequently accuse the left of deifying Obama, yet they credit him with powers only some otherworldly being would possess. He’s going to kill all the old people! He hypnotized all the young people! He makes tornadoes and hurricanes and droughts! And he’s the secret scion of one of the most famous African-American activists of all time.
The Market On Wednesday
Good morning. It is 32 degrees and sunny here in the Upper Hudson Valley. A sunny day with temperatures in the 40s is expected. It is the day before Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Eve as it were. Most everyone's attention is set on the feast that will take place tomorrow, preparations, traveling, cleaning, etc. It's an in-between type of day. You can feel it, it's as if the community has collectively agreed to change the focus of its normal daily driven intent and desire. Many people do not partake for many reasons. We all have friends who are sick or by themselves and alone, the people that have no family and few friends, and the holidays tend to accentuate loneliness, that's a problem. If you have friends and family and are readying for a gathering, fully appreciate your fantastic gift don't take it for granted, even appreciate your screwy relative who insists that Donald Trump can make America great again...
At 9:00 a.m. ET futures are higher and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open higher.
Well apparently, and according to the article, all the mess from previous days, Russian jet being shot down by Turkey, etc, are now a thing of the past and the market can return to 'normal'. That was fast. Wall Street is actually a type of model of forgiveness, if only we could forget past indiscretions so readily, just kidding. Most investors are preparing themselves for a long weekend, many have probably already left the building. When fewer traders are in the house, the market tends to be a little more volatile, but I will lightly predict that this year's Thanksgiving Eve might not give us equity fits, but you never know.
CNN: Stocks: Five things to know before the open
At 9:00 a.m. ET futures are higher and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open higher.
Well apparently, and according to the article, all the mess from previous days, Russian jet being shot down by Turkey, etc, are now a thing of the past and the market can return to 'normal'. That was fast. Wall Street is actually a type of model of forgiveness, if only we could forget past indiscretions so readily, just kidding. Most investors are preparing themselves for a long weekend, many have probably already left the building. When fewer traders are in the house, the market tends to be a little more volatile, but I will lightly predict that this year's Thanksgiving Eve might not give us equity fits, but you never know.
CNN: Stocks: Five things to know before the open
Oil is falling, and European markets are recovering from losses Tuesday triggered by Turkey's downing of a Russian warplane that was attacking targets in Syria.
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Post-Truth
NBC News: First Read: Donald Trump, The Post-Truth 2016 Candidate
It's hard to disagree with the assessment of our colleague Benjy Sarlin: "Let's not sugarcoat what's going on. The GOP frontrunner is spreading hateful falsehoods about blacks and Muslims."
The Amazon
Science Daily: Half of all Amazonian tree species may face extinction
summary - Scientists report that more than half the tree species in the Amazonian rainforest may be globally threatened. However, the study also suggests that Amazonian parks, reserves, and indigenous territories, if properly managed, will protect most of the threatened species.
The Drought
Bloomberg: California Needs Snow to Start Falling Now for Drought Relief
If El Nino delivers the promised increase in big, wet storms off the Pacific from January to March, California needs a lot of what falls from those systems to be snow.
Snow in the mountains stays there until spring, when it melts, runs off and replenishes the state’s reservoirs. If the storms come in as rain, or the mountain snow can’t pile up high enough, a lot of water will be lost.
Shooting
MSNBC: Jamar Clark protests: 5 shot near Black Lives Matter encampment
Minneapolis’ local Black Lives Matter group were among dozens claiming on Twitter that the shooters were “white supremacists.”
Baloney, Craziness, Nonsense - The Maniacal List
BBC: Donald Trump: 21 things the Republican believes
21. He is a "really nice guy". In Trump's most recent book, Crippled America, he writes that "I'm a really nice guy, believe me, I pride myself on being a nice guy but I'm also passionate and determined to make our country great again". The news site Gawker points out that he calls himself a "nice guy" throughout the book, and Trump repeated that self-assessment in his opening monologue on Saturday Night Live.
Russian SU-24 Fighter Downed By Turkey
Guardian UK: Putin calls Turkey 'accomplices of terrorists' after Russian jet shot down - live updates
Turkey says its jets have shot down a warplane near Syrian border
Russia says an SU-24 fighter jet was shot down over Syria
Putin’s spokesman calls it ‘a very serious event’
Turkey releases radar images of the jet over its airspace
Nato to hold extraordinary council meeting on Turkey’s request
Turkey’s news agency Dogan repeats reports that Turkmen commanders have stated that their forces shot both Russian pilots while they were parachuting down, and that they have the bodies.
The Market On Tuesday
Good morning. It is a cold 28 degrees and it is sunny here in the Upper Hudson Valley. A sunny day with temperatures in the 40s is expected. I like that sunshine. Holy crap the morning news is mind blowing. We see that Turkey shot down a Russian fighter jet. That is going to hurt. What will the retaliation be or has it in fact already started and I don't know about it yet. There's a lot to look at today including Trump's almost terrifying stump speech where he yells, "get him out of here", and says this repeatedly in front of a crowd in a frenzy. That is frightening coming from a "presidential" candidate, this is not good.
At 9:00 a.m. ET futures are significantly lower and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open lower.
It is the downed Russian jet that is having an immediate effects on global indexes. Hang onto your hats. The second reading of the US GDP shows that the third quarter economy grew at a slightly better pace than originally reported. Also notice that the Saudis are getting a lot of heat from the rest of OPEC surrounding the oil glut. The Saudis are promising change but this is taken with a grain of salt because they have said the exact same thing in the recent past.
CNN: Stocks: Six things to know before the open
At 9:00 a.m. ET futures are significantly lower and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open lower.
It is the downed Russian jet that is having an immediate effects on global indexes. Hang onto your hats. The second reading of the US GDP shows that the third quarter economy grew at a slightly better pace than originally reported. Also notice that the Saudis are getting a lot of heat from the rest of OPEC surrounding the oil glut. The Saudis are promising change but this is taken with a grain of salt because they have said the exact same thing in the recent past.
CNN: Stocks: Six things to know before the open
A Russian warplane crashed on the Syrian side of the Turkey-Syria border on Tuesday, amid heightened tensions in the region. Russia started airstrikes in Syria last month.
The Turkish lira dipped 0.8% against the dollar on the news, and markets around the world are also dipping.
Monday, November 23, 2015
Nate Silver On Trump's Poll Numbers
FiveThirtyEight: Dear Media, Stop Freaking Out About Donald Trump’s Polls By Nate Silver
Right now, he has 25 to 30 percent of the vote in polls among the roughly 25 percent of Americans who identify as Republican. (That’s something like 6 to 8 percent of the electorate overall, or about the same share of people who think the Apollo moon landings were faked.)
Electronic Plants
The Onion: Electronic plants created
summary - Researchers have created analog and digital electronics circuits inside living plants. The scientists have used the vascular system of living roses to build key components of electronic circuits.
Ruckelshaus On The GOP
Guardian UK: First EPA chief accuses Republicans of ignoring science for political gain - William Ruckelshaus, who this week will receive the presidential medal of freedom, says candidates are harming US’s reputation ahead of Paris climate talks
The criticism is particularly stinging as Ruckelshaus previously ran for election as a Republican and was appointed by Richard Nixon as the first head of the Environmental Protection Agency in 1970. Ronald Reagan appointed him to a second term at the federal regulator in 1983.
The Market On Monday
Good morning. It is 34 degrees and sunny here in the Upper Hudson Valley. A very sunny day with temperatures in the lower 40s is expected. I hope you had a good weekend. I've got a new thought about the upcoming election. A recent article in 538 has shed some light. Turns out there are core elite endorsements that Democratic presidential candidates receive during the campaigning process. At this point Hillary Clinton has received a whopping huge bunch of these while Bernie Sanders has gotten two. Historically the candidate who has gotten the most of these core elite endorsements from standing governors, senators, and congressional reps, goes on to get the nomination. We talk about establishment Republicans all the time and how those people are now angling to get a non-Trump, non-Carson candidate on the ticket. Well, there are in the same way establishment Democrats who hold great political power and act in the same was as their Republican counterparts. Right now Hillary Clinton is not only polling higher and has a sturdy funding chest, she is also holding a very significant elite endorsement advantage. At present the betting money is on Hillary. That does not mean that things can change because they most certainly can change and do change.
At 9:00 a.m. ET futures are flat and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open in the flat area.
I think it's significant that Allergan and Pfiser are on the verge of a merger which would create a massive drug company. That's a lot of financial power. We already see a steady stream of commercials advertising all kinds of drugs, so one would expect that the trend for that type of drug promotion is about to get even stronger. The merged company will have tremendous assets, the TV presence will be a very strong component of their marketing.
CNN: Stocks: 6 things to know before the open
At 9:00 a.m. ET futures are flat and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open in the flat area.
I think it's significant that Allergan and Pfiser are on the verge of a merger which would create a massive drug company. That's a lot of financial power. We already see a steady stream of commercials advertising all kinds of drugs, so one would expect that the trend for that type of drug promotion is about to get even stronger. The merged company will have tremendous assets, the TV presence will be a very strong component of their marketing.
CNN: Stocks: 6 things to know before the open
Shares in the drug companies Allergan (AGN) and Pfizer (PFE) are both dipping by about 2% after they announced plans to come together in a deal worth around $160 billion.
Saturday, November 21, 2015
The Rancher
We could all use a laugh, it's been another tough week for news-watchers.
A man owned a small ranch near Great Falls, Montana. The Montana Labor Department got a tip that he was not paying proper wages to his help and sent an investigator out to interview him.
"I need a list of your employees and how much you pay them," demanded the investigator.
"Well," replied the rancher, "there's my ranch hand who's been with me for 3 years. I pay him $1200 a week plus free room and board."
"The cook has been here for 18 months, and I pay her $1000 per week plus free room and board."
"Then there's the half-wit. He works about 18 hours every day, with no days off, and does about 90% of all the work around here. He makes about $10 per week and pays his own room and board."
"But, I buy him a bottle of bourbon every Saturday night, and he also sleeps with my wife occasionally."
"That's the guy I want to talk to... the half-wit," says the investigator.
"You're talking to him," replied the rancher.
Captagon
There is speculation that ISIS fighters are taking this drug. Captagon AKA fenethylline
WaPo: The tiny pill fueling Syria’s war and turning fighters into superhuman soldiers
WaPo: The tiny pill fueling Syria’s war and turning fighters into superhuman soldiers
A tiny, highly addictive pill produced in Syria and widely available across the Middle East...
Captagon quickly produces a euphoric intensity in users, allowing Syria's fighters to stay up for days, killing with a numb, reckless abandon.
"There was no fear anymore after I took Captagon..."
Kasich's Anti-Trump Ad
In my opinion this is an incredibly weak TV ad. Kasich needs to do a lot better than this.
'If It Looks Like A Duck, Quacks Like A Duck, It's A Duck!'
From September - Rolling Stone: The Republicans Are Now Officially the Party of White Paranoia
- The rise of Trump obliterates all other issues — campaign 2016 is now almost entirely about race
In the elaborate con that is American electoral politics, the Republican voter has long been the easiest mark in the game, the biggest dope in the room. Everyone inside the Beltway knows this. The Republican voters themselves are the only ones who never saw it.
Gambino Warns ISIS
Now I've seen everything.
Reuters: Giovanni Gambino Warns ISIS: The Big Apple is Off Limits, Thanks to Sicilian Mafia
Reuters: Giovanni Gambino Warns ISIS: The Big Apple is Off Limits, Thanks to Sicilian Mafia
Have A Great Saturday
work by Édouard Vuillard
Édouard Vuillard's use of paint is simply scrumptious. He was so very prolific, it's stunning, I'm very interested in his work. He is a painter's painter.
Édouard Vuillard's use of paint is simply scrumptious. He was so very prolific, it's stunning, I'm very interested in his work. He is a painter's painter.
Being Bilingual Helps
I hope I'm covered, I know English, some Latin, some Tibetan, some French, I can read and write music with good facility, and I think visually.
Science Daily: Speaking multiple languages linked to better cognitive functions after stroke
Science Daily: Speaking multiple languages linked to better cognitive functions after stroke
summary - Bilingual patients were twice as likely as those who spoke one language to have normal cognitive function after a stroke. Bilingual patients performed better than single language patients on attention, information retrieval and organization.
Global Warming - What Americans Are Thinking
The polling especially the "one in ten know that nearly all climate scientists agree that global warming is happening as a result of human activity" indicates to me that the right's effort to discredit science are effective. Weep away.
National Center For Science Education: Polling Americans on global warming again
National Center For Science Education: Polling Americans on global warming again
Two in three Americans think that global warming is happening, and about half think that, if it is happening, it is mostly owing to human activity, but only about one in ten know that nearly all climate scientists agree that global warming is happening as a result of human activity.
Friday, November 20, 2015
Endorsed
Hillary Clinton is leading the entire pack with 447 endorsements. In second place is Jeb with 40. Endorsements in past years have been indicators of who will get the nomination. Hillary is already at the level of many past nominees.
FiveThirtyEight: The Endorsement Primary
FiveThirtyEight: The Endorsement Primary
GOP Vs GOP
Now it gets interesting. Expect to see the highly negative TV ads hitting Trump hard all over the place. Unfortunately (or fortunately) I live in a blue state so I will only see them on Youtube.
Wall Street Journal: GOP Operative Plans ‘Guerrilla Campaign’ Against Donald Trump - Move comes as growing number of Republicans fear damage to party’s image and ‘Hillary Clinton will become president’
Wall Street Journal: GOP Operative Plans ‘Guerrilla Campaign’ Against Donald Trump - Move comes as growing number of Republicans fear damage to party’s image and ‘Hillary Clinton will become president’
“People are finally taking the threat that Trump will destroy the Republican Party and lose the general election to Hillary Clinton seriously..."
Carson
Rolling Stone: What the Hell Is Going on With Ben Carson? Carson has kept his hand at the controls of the sort of brute animal hatred driving the Republican primary
Ben Carson might think that the pyramids are teeming with unpopped corn because he long since lost the capacity to suspect that anything he's convinced himself he knows could ever be incorrect.
Trump
The fog is clearing. Trump's popularity among GOPers is partly about the outsider thing, but it's very much about the anti-immigration thing. The latter is also gaining more clarity. With the Paris atrocity, Trump is going way beyond his call to deport 12 million Latinos, now he's quite fervently onto a registry for all Muslims.
NYT: Donald Trump’s Call for Muslim Registry Denounced by Democrats
And in case you don't think this could possibly be, voila. This is very popular among GOPers who rabidly hate Muslims.
NBC News: Donald Trump Retakes Lead in GOP Race; Ted Cruz Makes Gains: Poll
NYT: Donald Trump’s Call for Muslim Registry Denounced by Democrats
And in case you don't think this could possibly be, voila. This is very popular among GOPers who rabidly hate Muslims.
NBC News: Donald Trump Retakes Lead in GOP Race; Ted Cruz Makes Gains: Poll
Spotsylvania, Virginia
Spotsylvania, hey any relation to Transylvania?
The guy yelling out ignorant racist hate at these Muslims is just a representative of the larger body of people who share his values. Everybody in America knows this kind of guy, we knew him in high school, we bump into him all the time. He's afraid, he's stubborn as all hell, you couldn't reach into that gray matter no matter how you decorate it or try to shape it. On a positive note, many apologies for this outburst have come forward, not from the perpetrator, of course.
"You're a terrorist, every one of you is a terrorist, I don't care what you say." "Shut your mouth."
WUSA9: Man calls all Muslims terrorists during Va. meeting
The guy yelling out ignorant racist hate at these Muslims is just a representative of the larger body of people who share his values. Everybody in America knows this kind of guy, we knew him in high school, we bump into him all the time. He's afraid, he's stubborn as all hell, you couldn't reach into that gray matter no matter how you decorate it or try to shape it. On a positive note, many apologies for this outburst have come forward, not from the perpetrator, of course.
"You're a terrorist, every one of you is a terrorist, I don't care what you say." "Shut your mouth."
WUSA9: Man calls all Muslims terrorists during Va. meeting
Personalized Nutrition
Science Daily: 'Healthy' foods differ by individual
summary - Ever wonder why that diet didn't work? An new study tracking the blood sugar levels of 800 people over a week suggests that even if we all ate the same meal, how it's metabolized would differ from one person to another. The findings demonstrate the power of personalized nutrition in helping people identify which foods can help or hinder their health goals.
Global Warming - El Niño
Climate Central: Forecasters Say U.S. Faces an El Niño-Dominated Winter
Green is likely to be above average precipitation, brown is likely below average, white equals normal.
Green is likely to be above average precipitation, brown is likely below average, white equals normal.
Krugman - 'Panic Is What The Right Is All About'
NYT: The Farce Awakens
Think about it. From the day Mr. Obama took office, his political foes have warned about imminent catastrophe. Fiscal crisis! Hyperinflation! Economic collapse, brought on by the scourge of health insurance! And nobody on the right dares point out the failure of the promised disasters to materialize, or suggest a more nuanced approach.
The Market On Friday
Good morning. It is 47 degrees and very sunny here in the Upper Hudson Valley. The weather logo is predicting lots of sunshine and cooler temperatures in the high 40s today. Every single morning this week has offered a surprise from the point of view of some new craziness in the world. This morning does not disappoint. Now it's over to Mali where gunman are holding people hostage in a hotel. Apparently American special forces are on hand as well. This has been one helluva week. The world is going through a major conniption and unfortunately the lines of craziness are being drawn deeper and further apart. I have to say that I have been more than shocked by the rhetoric coming out of the right this week. The bar has gotten lowered, and who thought that was even possible.
At 9:00 a.m. ET futures are moderately higher and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open higher.
The standoff in Mali this morning has captured everyone's attention and that would include Wall Street. Wall Street generally has remained buoyant through the week. Notice that AIDS drug profiteer Martin Shkreli has purchased KaloBios which has several cancer drugs in development. That company's stock has shot up over 400% with news of the purchase. What does that tell you? The quick answer is that Wall Street is very happy to make gobs of profit on the backs of the terminally ill. And what does that tell you?
CNN:Stocks: 5 things to know before the open
At 9:00 a.m. ET futures are moderately higher and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open higher.
The standoff in Mali this morning has captured everyone's attention and that would include Wall Street. Wall Street generally has remained buoyant through the week. Notice that AIDS drug profiteer Martin Shkreli has purchased KaloBios which has several cancer drugs in development. That company's stock has shot up over 400% with news of the purchase. What does that tell you? The quick answer is that Wall Street is very happy to make gobs of profit on the backs of the terminally ill. And what does that tell you?
CNN:Stocks: 5 things to know before the open
... a picture of weak growth and almost zero inflation in the eurozone.
Gunmen have taken 170 people hostage inside the Radisson Blu hotel in Bamako, the capital of the former French colony in west Africa.
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Benghzi, Benghazi, Benghazi, Syria!
Call it - 'anti-knowledge logic'.
TPM: GOP Rep.: Americans Don't Trust Syrian Refugees Because Benghazi
TPM: GOP Rep.: Americans Don't Trust Syrian Refugees Because Benghazi
Rick Mercer - Talking To Americans
Richard Vincent "Rick" Mercer OC is a Canadian comedian, television personality, political satirist and author.
Basically he makes up stuff about Canada and asks Americans what their opinion is of it. The joke is on us.
Basically he makes up stuff about Canada and asks Americans what their opinion is of it. The joke is on us.
Extremism
We are in a period of extremism. May calmer intelligent minds prevail.
MSNBC: 6 extreme responses to the Syrian refugee crisis
MSNBC: 6 extreme responses to the Syrian refugee crisis
Hillary's Plan
NBC News: 'Time for Delay is Over:' Hillary Clinton Outlines Plan to Combat ISIS
Clinton outlined three key tenets of her national security plan: defeat ISIS in Syria, Iraq and the Middle East; disrupt and dismantle a growing terrorist network; and strengthen American defenses against external and homegrown threats.
What If
Chicago Tribune: Commentary: What if Donald Trump or Ben Carson wins?
Keene, noting the conservative complaints that President Barack Obama has used executive orders to exceed his constitutional authority on issues such as immigration, asked, "Can you imagine Donald Trump saying the Constitution is more important than I am?"
Crossing The Line
Well, what do you expect.
Raw Story: Trump crosses the Nazi line: Maybe Muslims should wear special ID badges
Raw Story: Trump crosses the Nazi line: Maybe Muslims should wear special ID badges
Planet Making
Science Daily: Researchers capture first photo of planet in making
summary - Capturing sharp images of distant objects is difficult, largely due to atmospheric turbulence, the mixing of hot and cold air. But researchers captured the first photo of a planet in the making, a planet residing in a gap in LkCa15's disk. Of the roughly 2,000 known exoplanets, only about 10 have been imaged -- and long after they had formed, not when they were in the making. Results were published in Nature.
College Closed On Fears Of Shooting
When was the last time you saw a story like this one. The answer is never as far as I know. Have not researched it, but this is different too. The globe is going through a lot more extreme conniptions lately. This is new stuff, this is new territory for human behavior.
Guardian UK: Maryland college closed for weeks amid fears missing student may be armed - Washington College sends students home and plans to remain closed through Thanksgiving as officials search for troubled 19-year-old sophomore
Guardian UK: Maryland college closed for weeks amid fears missing student may be armed - Washington College sends students home and plans to remain closed through Thanksgiving as officials search for troubled 19-year-old sophomore
Out Of Control
Like all of you, I've been following the news for some time and I must say the statements the GOP candidates are making right now are at an entire new level, like nothing I've heard in the past 20 years. It's very strange.
AlterNet: The GOP's Xenophobic Rage Is Out of Control: Why It’s Time to Get Very Nervous - After six years of non-stop xenophobic fear mongering, the Paris attacks have taken intolerance to a new level.
AlterNet: The GOP's Xenophobic Rage Is Out of Control: Why It’s Time to Get Very Nervous - After six years of non-stop xenophobic fear mongering, the Paris attacks have taken intolerance to a new level.
The Market On Thursday
Good morning. It is a whopping 57 degrees and it is rainy and overcast here in the Upper Hudson Valley. The weather logo is indicating rain today and the temperature up near an unseasonably high 60 degrees. We see that the alleged mastermind behind the Paris attacks was killed in yesterday's raid. My god, what a monster psycho that guy guy was. Also we see that China now wants a piece of ISIS after ISIS executed a Chinese national. ISIS will be cooked, that's clear. A global coalition to take them out will work.
At 8:15 a.m. ET futures are up and the price of oil per barrel is down, now hovering just above $40 a barrel. The market is poised to open higher.
There will be two IPOs offered today Square and Match Group. On Wednesday the Fed indicated that it will raise the base interest rate in December. Say goodbye to the no interest credit card deals, that will happen sooner or later.
CNN: Stocks: 5 things to know before the open
At 8:15 a.m. ET futures are up and the price of oil per barrel is down, now hovering just above $40 a barrel. The market is poised to open higher.
There will be two IPOs offered today Square and Match Group. On Wednesday the Fed indicated that it will raise the base interest rate in December. Say goodbye to the no interest credit card deals, that will happen sooner or later.
CNN: Stocks: 5 things to know before the open
The minutes indicated the Fed would likely hike interest rates in December, giving investors more certainty about where to allocate their investments.
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Itty Bitty Mistake
Good for Ben Carson, and good for America, who cares if a presidential candidate knows nothing about foreign policy or simple elementary geographic facts about the United States. Why, the less he knows, the better...
WaPo: Ben Carson’s campaign made a U.S. map and put a bunch of states in the wrong place
WaPo: Ben Carson’s campaign made a U.S. map and put a bunch of states in the wrong place
'A Lot Of Bad Things Will Happen'
Trump is bit by bit coming out of the closet. He started off his campaign with a stunning idea - deport 12 million Latinos. Now it's onto the Muslims, close the mosques he says, well you just have to. And then he adds a highly nuanced reasoning - (he has) “a feeling that a lot of bad things will happen.”
The Hill: Trump: 'Absolutely no choice' but to close mosques
The Hill: Trump: 'Absolutely no choice' but to close mosques
“There’s absolutely no choice,” Trump insisted. “Some really bad things are happening and they’re happening fast. Certainly a lot faster than our president understands because he doesn’t understand anything.”
Trump also highlighted his concerns with accepting Syrian refugees, saying he has “a feeling that a lot of bad things will happen.”
Terrorism In Nigeria
CNN: Police: Suicide bombers, one of them 11, target Nigeria market
At least 31 people were killed and 72 others injured in a bomb blast Tuesday evening in the northeastern city of Yola, Aliyu Maikano, a local Red Cross official, said.
American Logic On Full Display
As Homer Simpson would say - Doh!
ThinkProgress: NRA-Backed Legislator: We Can’t Take Syrian Refugees Because It’s Too Easy For Them To Buy Guns
ThinkProgress: NRA-Backed Legislator: We Can’t Take Syrian Refugees Because It’s Too Easy For Them To Buy Guns
Barefoot
Science Daily: Going barefoot: Strong 'foot core' could prevent plantar fasciitis, shin splints, and other common injuries
summary - Barefoot activities can greatly improve balance and posture and prevent common injuries like shin splints, plantar fasciitis, stress fractures, bursitis, and tendonitis in the Achilles tendon, according to one expert.
Alliance
CBS News: Obama offers to work with Russia against ISIS under one condition
Now, Mr. Obama is relying on Vladimir Putin to help broker a ceasefire in Syria, which would eliminate an ISIS safe haven.
Europe On Alert
Europe is on high alert with fears of another attack. I get the sense that the bombing campaign on ISIS is going to be relentless, political leaders want to decimate the group. In time they will.
The Independent: Copenhagen Airport Terminal 3 evacuated due to terror alert ‘sparked by suspicious bag’ - It comes amid a heightened state of alert across Europe following the Paris attacks
DW: Germany on high alert after bomb scare at Hanover football stadium - Two stadiums have been evacuated and Hanover's main train station partly closed following a suspected bomb threat in Germany, days after the deadly Paris attacks. Authorities have said that no explosives were found.
The Independent: Copenhagen Airport Terminal 3 evacuated due to terror alert ‘sparked by suspicious bag’ - It comes amid a heightened state of alert across Europe following the Paris attacks
DW: Germany on high alert after bomb scare at Hanover football stadium - Two stadiums have been evacuated and Hanover's main train station partly closed following a suspected bomb threat in Germany, days after the deadly Paris attacks. Authorities have said that no explosives were found.
Raqqa Air Strikes
BBC: Air strikes on IS stronghold of Raqqa 'kill 33 militants'
Air strikes by France and other nations on the Islamic State (IS) stronghold of Raqqa in Syria since Sunday have killed at least 33 militants, activists say.
The Hunt For Abdelhamid Abaaoud
BBC: Paris attacks: Two die in hunt for 'mastermind' Abaaoud
The fate of Abdelhamid Abaaoud, previously thought to be in Syria, is still unclear.
Prosecutor Francois Molins said intelligence indicated he was in Paris.
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