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Thursday, October 31, 2013

Prank


Halloween




















We're all set, got the pumpkins carved and lit, candy is by the front door, the dog is under control, unfortunately the weather is a little raw. Usually we have a ton of left over candy, we buy more than we need because we are overly worried someone will come by and the bowl might be empty.

Good Night

'Play House'

PLAY HOUSE - A short film by Brandon LaGanke from GHOST+COW FILMS on Vimeo.

Arctic

Guardian UK: The last time the Arctic was this warm was 120,000 years ago - New research is the first to present physical evidence that indicates the warming in the eastern Canadian Arctic exceeds the peak warmth during the Holocene epoch

DOW Closes Lower

The DOW closed at 15,545.75 dropping 73.01 points

CNN: Stocks end a winning October with a thud

The Daily Show - A Bugged Life - Plausible Deniability Scramble

Maddow - Obamacare Success A Future Problem FOR GOTea

DOW Lower At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 15,608.01 down 10.75 points.

CNN: Are investors joining rally too late?

Have A Good Morning

work by Francois Stahly

The Onion - Fun-Loving, Laid-Back Woman With A Bit Of A Nerdy Side Joins Online Dating Service

The Onion: Fun-Loving, Laid-Back Woman With A Bit Of A Nerdy Side Joins Online Dating Service

TRNN - Food Stamp Program Faces Unprecedented Cuts

Global Warming - Koch Spill

AlterNet: Koch Pipeline Spills 400 Barrels Of Crude Oil In Texas - The crude oil spill is the latest in a string of pipeline incidents that have occurred in multiple U.S. states.

Contaminated Food Supply

AlterNet: Ractopamine: The Meat Additive on Your Plate That's Banned Almost Everywhere But America - The asthma drug-like growth additive has enjoyed stealth use in the US food supply for a decade despite being widely banned overseas.

The Market On Thursday

  Good morning. As I am running very late today I'm skipping the small talk.

  At 8:50 a.m. ET futures are flat and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open lower.

  I get the sense that two major things are affecting mood this morning. The first is the Fed announcement on continued quantitative easing which did not do the trick for investors. Second is the lack of detail on how the shutdown has affected the US economy. Add it up and we are flat and headed nowhere in the a.m. Also there is a sense that job growth in October was nowhere and that is no wonder considering the GOTea shut it all down.

CNN: Stocks fall after Fed update
But some investors had hoped the Fed would adopt a more dovish tone in its statement.

There were also expectations that the central bank would be more explicit as to the impact of the recent government shutdown on economic growth.

'This Picture'

Placebo

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Good Night

Tank - 'I Can't Make You Love Me'

Greenwald Rips Cheney

DOW Closes Lower

The DOW closed at 15,618.76 dropping 61.59 points.

Although quantitative easing will continue it appears that the Fed will taper it, and some are suggesting that will occur in December. This leads to today's closing drop.

CNN: Federal Reserve prolongs stimulus

Shaking Dogs

'Steady Feathers'

Fun stuff

Rewire

Good book

Good Reads: Hardwiring Happiness: The Practical Science of Reshaping Your Brain--and Your Life

The Daily Show - Debbie Wasserman Schultz Extended Interview Pt. 1

Maddow - Climate Deniers Find Pushback In Nebraska

DOW Lower At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 15,664.10 down 16.25 points.

CNN: Bull getting tired? Stocks flat ahead of Fed

Have A Good Morning

work by Etienne Martin

The Onion - Mom Leaks Out Another Divorce Detail During Drive To SAT Prep Class

The Onion: Mom Leaks Out Another Divorce Detail During Drive To SAT Prep Class

TRNN - While Media Focuses On Obamacare Glitches, Hundreds In MD Call For Universal Healthcare

Global Warming - Naomi Klein's Latest

AlterNet: Naomi Klein: Why Science Is Telling All of Us to Revolt and Change Our Lives Before We Destroy the Planet - Climate scientists are coming to some incendiary conclusions.

One In Five

AlterNet: Groundbreaking Study: 19 Percent of Americans Don't Consider Themselves Heterosexual - It turns out people often don’t answer honestly even when they’re anonymous. A new study attempts to deliver solid findings about sexual preferences in spite of this.

The Market On Wednesday

  Good morning. It is 35 degrees and lightly raining here in Upstate NY. If I could I would say it's a good day to stay in bed and read. Speaking of reading, yours truly is rereading 'The Catcher In The Rye.' Initially and through the first 150 pages I was wondering what the deal is about this book. Now that I am close to the very end, I am stunned by the book. It truly is a brilliant work. I want to write about it in detail but for the time being I would say if you've never read it, read it, and if you read it in high school, reread it now.

  At 8:45 a.m. ET DOW futures are moderately higher and the price of oil per barrel is lower. The market is poised to open mostly higher but one might expect some energy stocks to be under pressure.

  There's a lot going on with the DOW at record high levels, tons of corporate reports flowing through, and general economic reports as well. That's all fine but the real deal will come around 2:15 this afternoon when investors have parsed the words of the Fed after their two day meeting ends. This is all about more liquidity at ridiculously low interest rates, a combination that has propelled this long bull run.

CNN: Stocks: Perky ahead of Fed decision
The Fed is due to release a statement at 2 p.m. ET, following a two-day policy meeting.

'Funiculi, Funicula'

Pavarotti sings

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

New Brain

Mental Health Daily: 11 Ways To Grow New Brain Cells And Stimulate Neurogenesis

'The Most Quoted Man In News'

THE MOST QUOTED MAN IN NEWS from Andrew David Watson on Vimeo.

Good Night

CS Monitor: Oklahoma abortion ruling sets stage for US Supreme Court to step in

DOW Closes Higher

The DOW closed at 15,680.35 gaining 111.42 points.

CNN: Dow, S&P 500 close at record highs

The Daily Show - Site Flub

Maddow - House GOP Gives Up On Working For Rest Of Year

DOW Higher At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 15,621.63 up 52.70 points.

CNN: 'Critical failures' lead to Social Security overpayments

Have A Good Morning

work by Etienne Martin

The Onion - Woman Builds Ironclad Case Proving Mila Kunis Looks Bad Without Makeup

The Onion: Woman Builds Ironclad Case Proving Mila Kunis Looks Bad Without Makeup

TRNN - Hundreds In DC Protest Against Surveillance State

Global Warming - A New Case For Green Energy

CS Monitor: How global warming could boost green energy in an unexpected way (+video) - Global warming is expected to make water scarcer in some places, which could mean nuclear and coal power plants, which need a lot of water, could lose out to green energy, a study suggests.

Not Civil

AlterNet: My Confederate Town: Where Civil War-Era Politics Still Dominate - I feel hostility every time I walk out my door in Front Royal, Virginia.

The Market On Tuesday

  Good morning. It is 27 degrees and sunny here in Upstate NY. Yes, that is freezing, it's cold out. It truly is a physical and psychological adjustment when the cold starts to roll in. Think about March when a temperature of 40 degrees will seem like a heat wave and you'll want to go out in a t-shirt because it's so warm.

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

  The big news for the day is another two day meeting where the Fed will more than likely announce a continuation of quantitative easing. This is because the recovery is limping and it is limping on the liquidity from quantitative easing. Without that, where would we be? I think probably worse off. So in drastic times, there are drastic measures. Otherwise there will be a slew of economic reports today on housing and retail sales along with more third quarter corporate earnings reports. Hard to say, it could get messy, or something compelling could come along.

CNN: Stocks steady ahead of Fed meeting
...the Federal Reserve began its two-day meeting...

'I See You Baby'

Groove Armada

Monday, October 28, 2013

Good Night

'South Of Haiti'

South of Haiti from Alex Horner on Vimeo.

Stop

Guardian UK: Why have young people in Japan stopped having sex? What happens to a country when its young people stop having sex? Japan is finding out… Abigail Haworth investigates

DOW Closes Lower

The DOW closed at 15,568.93 dropping 1.35 points.

Reuters: U.S. factory, housing data suggest economy losing steam

Warrior

HuffPo: 9 Ways to Be a Spiritual Warrior

Young Vote In Argentina

CS Monitor: Will letting 16-year-olds vote change Argentina? - Sixteen and 17-year-olds will be able to vote for the first time in Argentina's mid-term elections Sunday. Critics see the 2012 law that lowered the voting age as a cynical bid to bolster the leftist government, but others say it will bolster democracy.

Hate Town

Guardian UK: North Dakota town to halt construction in bid to stop white supremacist influx - A hate-crimes fugitive from Canada bought several lots in Leith and is encouraging other white supremacists to move there

DOW Flat At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 15,577.31 up 7.03 points.

CNN: 10 Best Places to Retire

Have A Good Morning

work by Etienne Martin

The Onion - NRA Calls For Teachers To Keep Loaded Gun Pointed At Class For Entire School Day

The Onion: NRA Calls For Teachers To Keep Loaded Gun Pointed At Class For Entire School Day

TRNN - Data Shows Democrats Fully Embraced By Surveillance Industry

Global Warming - Bill McKibben's Latest

AlterNet: Will Obama Ever Stand Up to the Oil Industry or Just Keep Bending? To an increasingly disillusioned environmental movement, blocking Keystone looks like Obama's last chance.

Leave It Alone

AlterNet: 5 Reasons Why Cutting Social Security Would Be Irrational - Even for Congress.

The Market On Monday

  Good morning. It is 30 degrees and cloudy yet sunny here in Upstate NY. I hope your weekend was swell. I'm rereading 'A Cather In The Rye' and trying out the language of the era described in the book. We are sad to see Lou Reed pass away. His songs are etched into our psyche. I'm not any kind of rock historian but it does strike me that the lyrical content of his songs drove through the massive underbelly of America as also assumed by a writer like William Burroughs. You know what I mean so I won't go into the descriptions. What also strikes me more than anything else is why that angle needed to be highlighted during that period of the late 60s and early 70s. What was it in our society that called for a shedding of light on the underbelly through pop music during that time. why did we want to hear that.

  At 7:55 a.m. ET futures are modestly higher and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open higher with some energy stocks under pressure.

  Investors are working with the assumption that Q.E.3 will continue through the Winter and that is a thing of joy in their minds. They call it a bond buying program but it is more than that it is a liquidity infusion program and as the Fed Fund Rate is so minimal and has been minimal, this is money to play with. Just imagine if you could borrow $10million when the DOW was around 12000, invest it in equities that you knew were winners, and then look at your holdings now with the DOW around 15,500. Yes your profit would be way beyond the interest rate that you were facing. You just made out like a bandit. As I am learning, the link between the state and private banking goes way back and is a mutually beneficial arrangement. So although the particulars of quantitative easing are somewhat new, the relationship between state and private banking goes back a while, this is not new.

CNN: Stocks: Set for another all-time high?
...widely expected to say it will continue buying $85 billion in bonds and mortgage-backed securities a month.

'Walk On The Wild Side'

Lou Reed

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Lou Reed Dies

CNN: Lou Reed, rock legend, dies at 71

Good Night

'Why Do I Study Physics?' - 4 stars **** - Sande

Why Do I Study Physics? (2013) from Xiangjun Shi on Vimeo.

JC


3D

Unfortunately look for this type of weapon/problem to become more frequent.

Guardian UK: Suspected 3D-printed gun found in Manchester gang raid, say police - Officers analyse 3D printer and suspected components in what's thought to be first ever seizure of next generation weapon

SNL - School Visit

Fed Policy

Reuters: Fed to hold its fire this week, wants clearer economic view
...as they wait for more evidence of how badly Washington's budget battle has hurt the U.S. economy.

Have A Good Morning

work by Etienne Martin



The Onion - Ah, To Be Young, Rich, White, Male, College-Educated, Straight, And In Love

The Onion: Ah, To Be Young, Rich, White, Male, College-Educated, Straight, And In Love

Al Jazeera - Iraq After The Occupation

This video is from earlier in the year.

Hunter

Al Jazeera: On the hunt with Ted Cruz - If polarizing senator from Texas has split the GOP, some Iowa Republicans are now on his side

Global Warming - Your New Neighbor

AlterNet: More Than 15 Million Americans Now Live Within One Mile of a Fracking Well - America will have a million new oil and gas wells drilled over the next few decades and it’s likely many of those wells could end up in Americans’ backyards.

Help!

AlterNet: UC Davis Pepper Spray Cop Awarded $38,000 in Workers Comp - Lt. John Pike is being paid handsomely for spraying peaceful protesters in the face.

'4'33"'

John Cage

Saturday, October 26, 2013

NSA Protest

Reuters: Protesters march in Washington against NSA spying

Good Night

'In A Forest'

Fons Schiedon - In A Forest from Submarine Channel on Vimeo.

Money

Chartalism and Metallism are two very important theories with factual components about money. This has to do with where money gets its intrinsic value. Think about the definitions and how they might come through today from the point of view of one faction of the political scene that emphasizes austerity and a reduction in the role of government and the other faction which allows for credit, expansion, and a beneficial role to government.
Definition of 'Chartalism' - A non-mainstream theory of money that emphasizes the impact of government policies and activities on the value of money. The early-20th-century German economist Georg Friedrich Knapp first developed the theory of chartalism, which defines money as a unit of account with value that is determined by what the government will accept as payment for tax obligations. In other words, chartalism states that money does not have intrinsic value, but is given value by the government.

In metallist economic theory, the value of the currency derives from the market value of the commodity upon which it is based independent of its monetary role. Karl Menger theorized money came about when buyers and sellers in a market agreed on a common commodity as a medium of exchange in order to reduce the costs of barter. The intrinsic value of that commodity must be sufficient to make it highly “saleable”, or readily accepted as payment. In this system buyers and sellers of real goods and services establish the medium of exchange, not a sovereign state. Metallists view the state's role in the minting or official stamping of coins as one of authenticating the quality and quantity of metal used in making the coin. Knapp distinguished metallism from chartalism (or antimetallism), a monetary system in which the state has monopoly power over its own currency and creates a unique market and demand for that currency by imposing taxes or other such legally enforceable debts upon its people which can only be paid in that currency.
Recapping and in brief:
Chartalism - the state's authority creates value of money.
Metallism - the value of the money is in the money itself - think gold, think non state.

Rickenbacker Guitar Factory

Fukushima Work

Reuters: Special Report: Help wanted in Fukushima: Low pay, high risks and gangsters

Have A Good Morning

work by Etienne Martin


Etienne Martin
Etienne Martin

The Onion - Man Still Trying To Find Right Work-Anxiety–Life-Anxiety Balance

The Onion: Man Still Trying To Find Right Work-Anxiety–Life-Anxiety Balance

TRNN - US Spies On Its Allies For Business Intel, Not For National Security

Global Warming - Columbia's MA Program

It costs roughly $80 thousand for three semesters.

Columbia University: Master of Arts Program in Climate and Society

Kochs And Keystone XL

AlterNet: The Kochs' Brazen Buyout of Our Democracy Is Right Up There with the Worst Oligarchs in American History - Spending hundreds of millions to buy as much political power as they can for a project that could earn them over $100 billion.

'Everybody Hurts'

R.E.M.

Friday, October 25, 2013

Good Night

'To The Bone'

TO THE BONE from Erin Li on Vimeo.

DOW Closes Higher

The DOW closed at 15,570.28 gaining 61.07 points.

CNN: Gas prices slip below $3 in Missouri

The Daily Show - Everybody Hates U.S.

Maddow - GOP Outreach

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

DOW Higher At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 15,545.43 up 36.22 points.

Disgraceful.

CNN: Cut to food stamps coming next Friday

Have A Good Morning

work by Florine Stettheimer

The Borowitz Report - Congress Spends Several Hours Pretending To Understand Internet

The New Yorker: Congress Spends Several Hours Pretending to Understand Internet

TRNN - Black Nationalism And The Peoples' Movement - Ford Pt3

Global Warming - Starts With Koch

NY Times: Koch Brother Wages 12-Year Fight Over Wind Farm

Target These Idiots In Elections

AlterNet: Sell-Out Alert: 9 Democrats Already Caving to GOP On Social Security Cuts - Why aren’t key Democrats defending needed retirement programs?

The Market On Friday

  Good morning. At 8:30 a.m. ET it is 37 degrees and cloudy here in Upstate NY. Hey it's going up into the 50s next week, I can do more house painting. On Facebook someone pointed out the hypocrisy in GOTea complaints over the Obamacare website delays. The simple and clear point is this - the GOTea has never complained about people having to wait in line 7 hours just to vote.

  At 8:31 a.m. ET futures are flat and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open flat.

  Good earnings reports from tech corporations are stabilizing the pre-market this morning. Allegedly it is a light economic news day with reports on consumer sentiment coming through. What's your sentiment oh consumer? Mine is, I wish it were still Summer. We could get ahead of ourselves here and think that the week will collectively be a week of markets gains, it could happen.

CNN: Tech stocks lead premarket gains
Shares of Amazon and Zynga jumped after sales and earnings reports beat expectations on Thursday.

Upbeat earnings reports, along with hopes that the Federal Reserve will delay winding back its massive bond-buying program, have helped buoy stocks.

'Suite In G Major (Don Quixote)'

The music of Georg Philipp Telemann

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Good Night

'The Door'

'The Door' by David Shrigley from James Newport on Vimeo.

Major GOP Donor - Nuke Iran

Pallone HIPAA

Decline

Guardian UK: Figures show 'worrying' decline of UK wildlife - Audit reveals 70% of priority species have suffered long-term decline since 1970

DOW Closes Higher

The DOW closed at 15,509.21 gaining 95.88 points.

CNN: Twitter sets IPO stock price between $17 and $20

The Daily Show - Exclusive - Charles Krauthammer Extended Interview Pt. 1

Amazing, I can't believe Jon would do this. Go Jon.

Maddow - 'Let's Say I Married Boehner...'

DOW Higher At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 15,479.36 up 66.03 points.

CNN: Americans lacking in basic skills

Have A Good Morning

work by Florine Stettheimer

The Onion - Weird Man Begins Every Morning By Dousing His Naked Body In Water

The Onion: Weird Man Begins Every Morning By Dousing His Naked Body In Water

TRNN - Growing Up Black In America

Global Warming - The Kochs And Keystone XL

AlterNet: Koch Brothers Could Earn $100 Billion in Tar Sands Profit if Keystone XL Pipeline Is Approved - KXL will create a cash cow on steroids for the Kochs.

Breast

AlterNet: A Basic Fact About Breasts That Could Save Your Life: And The Forces Trying to Keep it Under Wraps - Important information about breasts has been kept from women, increasing the risk of undetected cancer.

The Market On Thursday

  Good morning. It is 30 degrees and sunny here in Upstate NY. Yes that would be a genuine brr, it's cold out there and it's time to seriously break out the cold weather clothes. It appears to me that what is occurring in this country is an even greater divide. We are moving into the situation where the red states will be behind in health care, their obesity rates are higher, education is lower, poverty is greater, and an all around need for funds to support people is greater. What we have here is a Western Europe and Eastern Europe situation, from the point of view of people, ordinary people minus the specifics of politics and location. The Tea party is moving part of the country into more severe economic pressure under the guise of freedom, and freedom in this case seems to mean an unwillingness to think of anyone but oneself, that somehow roughing it alone is good.

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

  However you want to parse it, the DOW is perched to move towards 16,000. I know this is surprising to many but the people involved in equities are seeing a tremendous boost in value. Jobless claims for the week are at 350,000 so that is adequate enough to allow for the morning's opening gains to occur.

CNN: Stocks poised for early gain on China data
Chinese factory activity hit a 7-month high in October...

'Big Block'

Jeff Beck

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Good Night

'The New America' - very interesting technique, could use some editing and a lighter soundtrack...

The New America from Nando Costa on Vimeo.

Chomsky On 'Sandwiches And Twitter'

DOW Closes Lower

The DOW closed at 15,413.33 dropping 54.33 points.

Reuters: S&P 500 breaks four-day streak of gains

The Daily Show - Extreme Takeover: Tea Party Edition

Maddow - Exposes GOP’s Ex-Fugitive ‘Expert’

DOW Lower At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 15,411.34 down 56.32 points.

CNN: Stocks slip as investors focus on earnings

Pema's Latest

Meditation begins to open up your life, so that you’re not caught in self-concern, just wanting life to go your way. In that case you no longer realize that you’re standing at the center of the world, that you’re in the middle of a sacred circle, because you’re so concerned with your worries, pains, limitations, desires, and fears that you are blind to the beauty of existence. All you feel by being caught up like this is misery, as well as enormous resentment about life in general. How strange! Life is such a miracle, and a lot of the time we feel only resentment about how it’s all working out for us.

Have A Good Morning

work by Florine Stettheimer

The Onion - GOP Announces Plan To Go After Obamacare

The Onion: GOP Announces Plan To Go After Obamacare

TRNN - Radioactive Rainwater Overwhelms Fukishima Nuclear Plant

Global Warming - Denialism

Guardian UK: Fox News defends global warming false balance by denying the 97% consensus - Fox News claims bias is balance, exemplifies the five characteristics of scientific denialism

GOTricked

AlterNet: If Only the Tea Party Crowd Knew Where Their Ideas Came from - History has its way of playing unexpected tricks on us.

The Market On Wednesday

  Good morning. It is 33 degrees and cloudy sunny here in Upstate NY. The sense of Winter creeping in is growing. Thinking through the events of the last few weeks with the GOTea shutdown and debt ceiling hostage taking crap scenario, I believe I know what we can expect in the next year. You have the GOTea at record low levels of approval from the American public and one year to go before the House is up for re-election. What will the GOTea do to right itself. They will double down on their attacks on Obama, after all they have no policies except to remove existing policies, so there's nothing there to promote. The call for the resignation of Sebelius is the first salvo, after all if they are calling for her resignation because a website isn't working properly, what's next - calling for an Obama's high up official resignation because their iPhone isn't working properly...

  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.

  Investors are back to the basics and at this point the basics revolve around third quarter corporate earnings reports and selective economic reports on housing, confidence, etc etc. With a miserable jobs report on Tuesday, investors are happy since this will mean that QE3 will continue and liquidity at a cheap price will remain present. Cheap cash is good.

CNN: Stocks: Momentum fades with earnings eyed
Asian markets were dragged down by reports that the leading banks in China had tripled the volume of bad loans they wrote off in the first half of the year...

'A Day In The Life'

Jeff Beck - this is a repost

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Good Night

'Amazônia Manauara'

Amazônia Manauara from MOOV on Vimeo.

Stalled

Guardian UK: US jobs data suggests economic recovery stalling before shutdown - Employment in the US up by 148,000, but rise is smaller than expected for this stage of a recovery

DOW Closes Higher

The DOW closed at 15,467.66 gaining 75.46 points.

CNN: Stocks up on hopes Fed stimulus will continue

The Daily Show - Alan Greenspan Extended Interview Pt. 1

Maddow - Health Gap Between States

DOW Higher At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 15,453.14 up 60.94 points.

CS Monitor: Obama helps fainting woman: Why was she lightheaded? - Obama steadied fainting woman who was standing behind him during his Rose Garden speech Monday on the Affordable Care Act. 'This happens when I talk too long,' he quipped.

Have A Good Morning

work by Nancy Graves

The Onion - New, Improved Obamacare Program Released On 35 Floppy Disks

The Onion: New, Improved Obamacare Program Released On 35 Floppy Disks

TRNN - Tar Sands Protesters Commandeer Public Meeting, Energy Officials Run For The Door

Global Warming - Wildfires

Zee News India: Global warming linked to wildfires: UN climate chief

148,000

This is miserable. The number is an embarrassment.

From CNN:
U.S. adds 148,000 jobs in September, unemployment rate slips to 7.2% - government report delayed by shutdown.

Who Did It

AlterNet: How Greedy Out-of-Control Private Contractors Botched the Obamacare Rollout - The Obama team outsourced Healthcare.gov to big corporations that rang up large bills without delivering what they promised.

The Market On Tuesday

  Good morning. It is 51 degrees and raw looking out there, here in Upstate NY. It's gray, a little windy, and the feel of Winter coming in is out there in spite of the temperature. Busy day here, Tuesday is my extra busy day and in truth all I want to do is go back to bed!

  At 8:25 a.m. ET futures are flat and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open flat except...

  Any second now the long awaited government report on jobs created in September comes out. It's all about the report today and the same truth we've seen since the recovery is going to hold. The numbers need to be a lot better.

CNN: Stocks hold steady before jobs report
Traders were hesitant to make any big bets ahead of the September report , due out at 8.30 a.m. ET.

'I Need You'

Beatles

Monday, October 21, 2013

US September Jobs Report On Tuesday

Reuters: Asian shares softer before U.S. jobs data, dollar steady

Good Night

Going to watch my fave b-ball team tonight and veg out. Enjoy your evening and see you Tuesday a.m.

School Shooting

We are so numbed from these regular shooting tragedies that somehow when two people are shot there's a sense of being able to better understand it or better accept it simply because it's not twenty people who were mowed down. Still, this is all about the same malicious disease that permeates the country and the families who are directly affected need our prayers and support. We all know this is not the last shooting.

Guardian UK: Nevada police confirm two dead and two injured in middle school shooting - Police say the two people killed at Sparks middle school were a staff member and a student, who was likely the attacker

DOW Closes Lower

The DOW closed at 15,392.20 dropping 7.45 points.

CNN: S&P 500 inches to new high

UK Nukes

Very short sighted -

Guardian UK: David Cameron hails nuclear power plant deal as big day for Britain - Planned reactors at Hinkley will be first to begin construction since Fukushima disaster and will come online in 2023

DOW Lower At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 15,373.77 down 25.88 points.

CNN: Christie drops challenge to same-sex marriages

Change

Guardian UK: Race is central to the fear and angst of the US right - The shrinking white base of the Republican party cannot accept the country in which it now lives – so it shut it down

Have A Good Morning

work by Nancy Graves

The Onion - Boehner Hoping To Remain Leader Of Republican Parties

The Onion: Boehner Hoping To Remain Leader Of Republican Parties

TRNN - US FED In Uncharted Waters

After studying monetary policy these last two months I can clearly state that without the Fed we would be down the creek, very very bad. The role of a central bank in the US monetary system is beyond necessary and yes their role in the great recession is unusual but the crisis was extreme.

Global Warming - Congress Does Nothing

WaPo: Congress turns a blind eye to global warming

Tea Party Terror

AlterNet: Inside the Conservative Brain: Why Tea Partiers Are Desperately Afraid - To understand how Tea Partiers view the world, you have to know how they see themselves.

The Market On Monday

  Good morning. It is 41 degrees and clear here in Upstate NY. It could a real nice day once again. I hope you had a good weekend, relaxing and enjoyable. Yours truly is nursing a ridiculous head cold with sinus congestion to boot. Ugh. For those that might have an interest, Coursera is offering a free online course on jazz improvisation with Gary Burton as the instructor. Needless to say, this is a great opportunity and the price is right. It's not easy, this is a serious class.

  At 8:20 a.m. ET futures are flat and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open flat to lower.

  With the GOTea manufactured debt ceiling crisis now in the rear view mirror until January, investors can get back to the business of parsing the economic data out there. Third quarter earnings will come into focus along with data on housing and such. Now we can get back to watching the market for the regular reasons rather than the extraneous noise reasons. Check out the CNN poll which tells that the GOTea brand is regarded as bad for America's health. So true, so true.

CNN: Stocks enter uncertain times
The wave of third-quarter earnings results continues Monday...

...monthly report on existing home sales.

'Bag's Groove'

Gary Burton Quartet

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Good Night

Robert Reich writes on the next installment of the debt ceiling fight, what we might see in January 2014.

Robert Reich: What to Expect During the Cease-Fire

Gas

CS Monitor: Gas prices: Will they fall to $3 a gallon?

Obamacare Update

CNN: 5 things that have happened since Obamacare launched
Overall, Gruber said, rates are going up for the young and healthy, and down for older people and people who are sick.

Have A Good Sunday

work by Nancy Graves


The Onion - Thursday Cry Moved Up To Wednesday Due To Scheduling Conflict

The Onion: Thursday Cry Moved Up To Wednesday Due To Scheduling Conflict

TRNN - Does American Might Prevent Global Chaos?

Global Warming - Moose Dying Off

We look at these types of stories every day now, it's all about how the environment is rapidly changing. I must admit that the degradation to wildlife has a real numbing effect - how do you react to this information.

NYT: The Disappearing Moose
Moose are dying off across North America for a number of reasons, most of which can be linked to a warming climate and an eroding winter.

The Latest Ten

AlterNet: Right-Wing Lunacy Never Sleeps: 10 Nutty, Vile and Absurd Utterances From the Fringe This Week - The right-wing has had a rough week, but refusing to acknowledge reality always helps.

'Blue Bossa'

The Rosenbergs

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Romney In Lawsuit

RICO is the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.

Democratic Underground: Romney Sued for RICO in Fed Court

Good Night

'Geology Of Shoes'

Geology of Shoes from Petr Krejčí on Vimeo.

GOTea Blunders = Dem Gains

Think of it as if it were balancing assets and liabilities.

HuffPo: GOP Shutdown Tactics Helped Drive Democrats' Fundraising Record

GOTea Donors Fed Up

Politico: Donors' frustration with GOP mounts

Saturday Afternoon

We have an exceptional day here, Fall is so strong and in the air. Still it's warm, the leaves are in full color, there's a New England quality to the day. Go outside.

Have A Good Morning

work by April Gornik

The Borowitz Report - Cruz Plans To Read Affordable Care Act

The New Yorker: Cruz Plans to Read Affordable Care Act

TRNN - NY Federal Reserve Examiner Fired After Submitting Critical Report Of Goldman Sachs

Global Warming - 2047

NYT: By 2047, Coldest Years May Be Warmer Than Hottest in Past, Scientists Say

Weak Tea

AlterNet: 10 Reasons Why the Tea Party is So Unpopular

'Adios Nonino'

Astor Piazzolla

Friday, October 18, 2013

Jeremy Scahill Joins Glenn Greenwald For A New Media Project

'Dirty Wars'

trailer - Jeremy Scahill's amazing and terrifying documentary on JSOC.

Krugman's Latest

NYT: The Damage Done

Good Night

'Liten'

Liten from Liten on Vimeo.

Petition

MoveOn: Arrest and Try House GOP Leadership for Sedition

DOW Closes Higher

The DOW closed at 15,399.65 gaining 28.00 points.

CNN: Google shares close above $1,000

Splits

Bloomberg: Republican Civil War Erupts: Business Groups v. Tea Party

Weaker

The Leaf Chronicle: REAGAN: GOP gets weaker by the week

Maddow - House Rules

DOW Lower At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 15,343.68 down 27.97 points.

CNN: 5 stocks that could hike their dividends

Have A Good Morning

work by April Gornik

The Onion - Republicans Give In Right Before Obamacare Would Have Been Repealed

The Onion: Republicans Give In Right Before Obamacare Would Have Been Repealed

TRNN - Government Shutdown And Debt Limit Deal A Defeat For Tea Party

Global Warming - A New Evolution

Mail Online: Global warming is already causing animals to evolve and migrate, claims scientist

Martyrs

Personally I always thought Christians have recently gone for the martyrdom routine because America is not 100% Christian in all directions, under every single stone, nook and cranny, 24/7. It's only roughly 75% that way and so that burdensome 25% is enough to cause an unlimited persecution complex. It's quite ridiculous.

AlterNet: The Myth of Christian Persecution - Why are messages about martyrdom and victimhood so galvanizing to a group of people who are objectively not being persecuted?

The Market On Friday

  Good morning and welcome to the weekend. It is 53 degrees and cloudy here in Upstate NY. We had some rain yesterday evening, and the logo is predicting rain for today and tomorrow. That would be a bummer for tomorrow as I am scheduled to do a performance outdoors. Oh well, wait and see.

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

  Now that the debt ceiling limit has been temporarily raised until the beginning of next year, investors are back to focusing on the national and global economy. What is disturbing of course is that these Tea Party politicians will no doubt attempt another economic coup in order to change something that they do not approve of but has come into effect through democratic efforts. Obamacare will top the list but any social spending program of any type including food stamps, or after school programs, or lunch programs, or medicare, and even SSI will be an ongoing and forever target for this crew. Bless their little souls.

CNN: Stocks: Investors refocus on economy, earnings
...China reported its economy grew 7.8% during the third quarter...

'Somebody To Love'

Chanticleer

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Good Night

'Oil Man'

Oil Man from Lucid Inc. on Vimeo.

Clean Up

Guardian UK: Why do we go to sleep? To clean our brains, say US scientists - Cerebral spinal fluid found to pump around the brain of sleeping mice, flushing out waste products like a biological dishwasher

New Narrative

Raw Story: Emerging right-wing theme: Obama planned shutdown with Valerie Jarrett as trap for Republicans

DOW Closes Flat

The DOW closed at 15,371.65 dropping 2.18 points.

CNN: S&P 500 hits record high

Really?

LA Times: Cockroach farms multiplying in China

Split

Guardian UK: Republican party's 'humiliating' defeat raises prospects of lasting party split - Elements that used to bind Republicans together are now in doubt, split further by social issues such as immigration reform

Change It

Guardian UK: President Obama speaks as shutdown ends: 'This town has to change'

Maddow - GOP Comes Up Empty

DOW Lower At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 15,319.79 down 54.04 points.

CNN: What debt crisis? Rally could keep going

Have A Good Morning

work by April Gornik

The Onion - Heroic Broken Sewage Pipe Floods Congress With Human Waste

The Onion: Heroic Broken Sewage Pipe Floods Congress With Human Waste

TRNN - More Than Half Of Fast Food Workers Rely On Welfare

Global Warming - Pollution

Guardian UK: Air pollution can cause cancer, says World Health Organisation - Pollutants from traffic and industrial fumes are linked to lung and bladder cancer, finds team charged with monitoring risks

Extortion

Here's one thing I don't quite understand. Most of these GOTea people are from states where their governor has already decided to opt out of Obamacare. So since their state is already out of the plan why are they creating havoc for the rest of the country? Their states are already out of it.

AlterNet: The GOP Has Surrendered for Now -- But It Will Try More Extortion Soon and Dems Have to be Strong - Democrats humbled the GOP this round, but they can't hand them what they want in the next.

The Market On Thursday

  Good morning. It is 57 degrees and cloudy here in Upstate NY. The weather logo shows rain for today and tomorrow but right now it's dry out there. I was watching the voting occur last night in Congress on the new debt deal. What can we say, the can has been kicked down the road a few months.

  At 8:30 a.m. futures are moderately lower and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open lower.

  Investors are not impressed with the deal this morning. Yesterday we got a rally based on the strong possibility of a deal and now that the deal is done, nada. We can understand this because nothing has changed. The GOTea will continue in its obstruction, its relentless effort to overthrow or defund or do anything to Obamacare because after all it's the worst thing since Armageddon. How pathetic. The other point is that these people in my opinion have committed treason. They've placed their re-election possibility above the welfare of the country. These GOTea people are guilty of sedition, and it's blatant and disgraceful.

CNN: Stocks sag as debt deal relief fades
...$24 billion hit to the economy caused by the events of the past two weeks.

'Shenandoah'

Chanticleer

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Glass Cabin

Cory Wins

Reuters: New Jersey voters elect Democrat Cory Booker to U.S. Senate

Good Night

Another busy day here. Let's see what happens with this debt deal tonight. It could get nasty and at the best it simply kicks the problem down the road till January 2014. Expect to see the same sort of nonsense then as we are seeing now. Perhaps Boehner has learned something, perhaps not.

Deal

CS Monitor: Debt limit debacle: Who won and who lost? Congress appears to be on its way toward passing a deal that will end the government shutdown and raise the debt limit, at least until next year. But it's tough to find any winners.

DOW Closes Higher

The DOW closed at 15,373.83 gaining 205.82 points.

CNN: Dow gains 200 points as debt deal emerges

Deal

Guardian UK: Congress moves to fast-track deal to end government shutdown

Maddow - Fractured Coalition Puts GOP At Crossroads

DOW Higher At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 15,344.42 up 176.41 points.

CNN: Stocks rise even as default deadline nears

Have A Good Morning

work by April Gornik

The Borowitz Report - Rand Paul Proposes Reopening Just Enough Of Government To Hold New Hearings On Benghazi

New Yorker: Rand Paul Proposes Reopening Just Enough of Government to Hold New Hearings on Benghazi

TRNN - Original Yasuni Proposal Would Have Made Ecuador A Pilot Project For Green Developement

GOTea Leadership On Full Display

Guardian UK: US government shutdown: Congress in disarray as deal collapses - John Boehner abandons House vote on temporary extension of debt ceiling as clock ticks down to 17 October deadline

Pointy Arrogant Heads

AlterNet: US Warned of Credit Downgrade as Republicans Inch Closer to the Brink - House Republican leadership forced to abandon vote on debt ceiling bill as ratings agency Fitch says deadlock 'casts doubt on faith and credit of US.'

The Market On Wednesday

  Good morning. It is 52 degrees and overcast here in Upstate NY. The days are getting noticeably shorter and the colder part of the Fall is creeping closer. People have their Halloween decorations out and the piles of leaves line the streets in this town. I am still working hard to maximize the temperatures and try to accomplish some more house painting before the snow flies.

At 9:00 a.m. ET futures are modestly higher and the price of oil per barrel is lower. The market is poised to open higher.

Today is the do or die day. Either a deal is cut to raise the debt ceiling or it isn't and we pass into a true catastrophe. It's a remarkable period in American politics and history where a few Republicans are quite willing to subvert the global economy in order to retain the little shitty power they hold in Congress. The hubris is off the charts along with their levels of stupidity and arrogance. The mass anger quotient towards this GOTea bunch is rising.

CNN: Stocks: Prepare for a bumpy ride
A failure to reach an agreement could trigger a default on U.S. debt and chaos in global markets.

...gold prices are edging up as investors seek a safe-haven asset.

'About Today'

The National

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Good Night

Long day here and I'm very dismayed by the GOTea activity in tanking the country's economy in order to get it's Tea Part way. Unbelievable and disgraceful.

See you bright and early Wednesday morning.

Beyond Belief

What in the hell is the GOTea thinking.

Guardian UK: US warned of credit downgrade as House Republicans inch closer to the brink - Boehner forced to abandon vote on debt ceiling bill as ratings agency Fitch says deadlock 'casts doubt on faith and credit of US'

DOW Closes Lower

The DOW closed at 15,168.01 dropping 133.25 points.

Shame on the GOTea.

CNN: Punting on budget likely to lead to another stalemate

The Daily Show - On Topic - We Were Correspondents - Wyatt Cenac

Maddow - Too Close To The Ceiling

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

DOW Lower At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 15,255.44 down 45.82 points.

CNN: Debt ceiling crisis could leave millions in lurch

Have A Good Morning

work by April Gornik

The Onion - Internet Rocked By Blogger With Sarcastic Sensibility

The Onion: Internet Rocked By Blogger With Sarcastic Sensibility

TRNN - Study Reveals Dangerous Levels Of Radioactivity Near Fracking Waste Site

Global Warming - Forbes Is F.O.S.

One of the leading denier rags out is Forbes, no surprise there. Check this out.

Forbes: The True Global Warming Crisis Is The Fibs Underlying The Theory

Stop It

AlterNet: There's an International Plan to Censor the Internet in the Works -- Let's Stop It in Its Tracks - How the Trans Pacific Partnership making its way through Washington seriously undermines citizens’ rights to participate in a free and open Internet.

The Market On Tuesday

  Good morning. It is 56 degrees and cloudy here in Upstate NY. The weather logo shows drizzle, what the heck is drizzle? Tuesday is my busy day, busiest day of the week, it's my personal hump day. I'm steeled up and ready to rumble.

  At 8:40 a.m. futures are slightly lower and the price of oil per barrel is slightly lower as well. The market is poised to open lower.

  Asian markets ended in the plus column and European markets are up as well, all based on the expectation that a ceiling debt deal is going to get done. This could be interesting because the Senate deal still has to go to the House and the House is still full of nutcase GOTeas. Even though we are in the midst of corporate earnings reports, the market is taking all its cues from Washington.

CNN: Stocks: Great expectations for Washington
Even if the Senate gets a deal, it still needs to win support in the House of Representatives, which is far from certain.

'Gimme Some Truth'

John Lennon

Monday, October 14, 2013

Extra Sleaze

HuffPo: Here Are The Sleaziest Things Congress Has Done During The Shutdown

Whacked GOTea Quote Of The Day

HuffPo: Larry Klayman Tells Obama 'To Put The Quran Down' At Veterans Rally

Good Night

'El Macho'

El Macho (Full version) from Daniela Negrin Ochoa on Vimeo.

Running Out

Guardian UK: US government shutdown: which agencies are next to run out of money? - After 14 days, the number of agencies operating as usual is dwindling – and many more face closure if a deal isn't done

Riviera

Guardian UK: The Bronx Riviera: life at the 'hood beach' – in pictures

DOW Closes Higher

The DOW closed at 15,301.26 gaining 64.15 points.

CNN: Stocks move higher on new debt talk hopes

Push Back

Harry Reid is allegedly demanding that the sequester cuts get rolled back as part of the deal. The sequester cuts were a result of the Tea Party branch of the GOTea. I love it. Reid is fully aware of the negativity surrounding the GOTea right now and he is looking to capitalize, it's a remarkable switch.

CS Monitor: Government shutdown backfires? GOP says Democrats now guilty of extortion. - The government shutdown began with Democrats saying Republican demands about Obamacare were 'extortion.' Now, as the GOP resistance collapses, Senate Democrats are pushing back.

Worse Than Nuremberg Laws, The Spanish Inquisition And Prima Nocta!

Moyers and company: The Right’s Obamacare Rhetoric Is Completely Detached from Reality

Unbreakable

CNN: Unbreakable encryption comes to the U.S. - The first quantum key distribution network in the United States promises un-hackable data security.

DOW Lower At Noon

In the noon hour the DOW is at 15,184.74 down 52.37 points.

CNN: Here we go again: Stocks fall on no debt deal

Have A Good Morning

work by April Gornik

The Onion - Poll Shows Majority Of Americans Can’t Blame Congress For The Shutdown, Not With Those Adorable Faces They Can’t

The Onion: Poll Shows Majority Of Americans Can’t Blame Congress For The Shutdown, Not With Those Adorable Faces They Can’t

TRNN - Yellen

Global Warming - El Nino

BBC News: Global warming will increase intensity of El Nino, scientists say

The Worst

AlterNet: The Four Most Exceptionally Bad Presidents - Washington was just the first of many, many presidents who believed it was America's role to tell others how to live.
4. George W. Bush

The Market On Monday

  Good morning. It is 47 degrees and sunny here in Upstate NY. The weather logos are pointing to a reasonable week of weather. We'll take it. I hope you had a good reviving type of weekend. I was busy working on the house trying to squeak out the last few days of decent weather on projects involving the exterior of the house. Right now I'm mostly painting.

  At 8:40 a.m. ET futures are significantly lower and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to steeply drop at the opening bell.

  Once again deep fear is back on Wall Street as the pointy headed GOTea has essentially decided to tank the economy by not raising the debt limit. I don't know what the hell these people are thinking, but I do know this, they are not making a lot of friends right now. The level of animosity directed at the GOTea could not be higher. Send these idiots packing on election day this year and next.

CNN: Debt deal deadlock to weigh on stocks
"Markets are responding accordingly ... as last week's hope that we would see an early-week deal has evaporated."

'West Coast Blues'

Wes Montgomery

Sunday, October 13, 2013

Good Night

'Incorporated'

INCORPORATED - 30 minute corporate thriller from Nick White on Vimeo.

Martin Guitar Factory Tour Part 1

Give It Up

HuffPo: 10 Things to Give Up in Exchange for Happiness

What's Not Getting Done

NYT: Shutdown’s Quiet Toll, From Idled Research to Closed Wallets

Have A Good Morning

work by April Gornik - oil on linen - rather amazing landscape painter


The Borowitz Report - Poll: Americans Divided Over What Wild Animal They Would Like To See Congress Mauled By

The Borowitz Report: Poll: Americans Divided Over What Wild Animal They Would Like To See Congress Mauled By

TRNN - Why Autoworkers Care About Climate Change Pt.4

This is an excellent discussion and I encourage you to watch the whole thing or as much as you can.

A Good Start

Politicus USA: The Koch Brothers Seditious Shutdown Conspiracy Should Get Them 20 Years in Prison

From The Fringe

AlterNet: You Think You Knew Crazy? Think Again. 10 Shockers from the Increasingly Unhinged Right Wing - Nothing shuts down America's far-right lunatic fringe.
1. Michele Bachmann: 'Obama is part of Al Qaeda and end times are near.'

'Les Yeux Noirs'

The Great Gypsy Guitarists - Birelli, Angelo, and Stochelo

Saturday, October 12, 2013

Warning

Reuters: World top bankers warn of dire consequences if U.S. defaults

Good Night

'Shunji Yokokawa: Salt Flats World Record'

Shunji Yokokawa: Salt Flats World Record from VITA BREVIS FILMS on Vimeo.

Ten

Raw Story: Meet the ten hardline conservatives who are really controlling the GOPs government shutdown

Maher Brawls With GOP Over Shutdown

Blame And Punish

CS Monitor: Most Americans blame GOP for gridlock. But will it matter in 2014? - The last time the government shut down, Republicans were punished at the polls. Political history doesn’t necessary repeat itself, but the GOP should worry about next year’s elections.

Have A Good Morning

work by Eric Fischl

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

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

TRNN - Financial Regulator Shutdown, Halts Investigations Of Wall Street Crimes

More than likely this is the real reason why there is a shutdown.

Global Warming - France Gets It Right

Guardian UK: France cements fracking ban - A law prohibiting fracking for shale gas has been upheld by France's constitutional court, citing environmental protection

Cuts

AlterNet: Will Obama Abandon Tens of Millions of Seniors to Get a Budget Deal with Right-Wing Republicans? Are cuts to Social Security and Medicare on the table?