The chairman of the Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke said on "60 Minutes" Sunday that the U.S. recession will come to an end "probably this year," but he also warned that the nation's 8.1% unemployment rate will continue to rise. (from MarketWatch.com)
Meanwhile, over at AIG, the party continues. Government money gets the best strippers.
Paul Harvey died this weekend at the age of 90.
Mr. Harvey was an institution in radio. And he accomplished it without a loud (you call them "high energy") cohost, graphics, a ticker, even a set, or a theme song. It was one person.....talking.
It was all about the content.
Think about that as you cry about your lost viewership to the internet...where there is no loud cohost, ticker, set, theme song....
Asteroid 2009 DD4, I call it "Eddie", is about to fly past Earth only about 73,000 km (45,360.097 miles) away. The rock is about 35 meters in diameter, which, as you know, is similar in size to the Tunguska impactor of 1908 (link included for those who are just so out-of-the-know). At closest approach tomorrow 6 a.m. Pacific, 2009 DD45 will speed through the constellation Virgo shining like an 11th magnitude star.
Fortunately, "Eddie", will be twice as high as the geostationary satellites, so we're safe from the some old Russian hunk of space crapola bumping it, send it into the planet. But if it did, boy would the dinosaurs sure have a laugh.
factual info from spaceweather.com
I've had this thing about guys being told to put the seat down. I think it pretty sexest. We don't ask woman to put the seat up! Why should we have to put it down for you? You're not trying to say you are too stupid to see that the seat is up before you lower your boom are ya?
Besides, I would think you'd want to walk in and see that seat in it's full upright and out of the way position. This assures you that the seat was, in fact, out of range when the last guy came in to do his shot!
Joe Cocker wasn't wiped during the 60's after all. He has half in the 60's, half in the 90's and his body just couldn't handle the stress.
How do I know? Forensic analysis of his song lyrics.
My thanks to Steven for passing this on. Image from Starpulse.com.
"The terrorist attacks on September 11 were both immoral and counterproductive. Ramming America has become the shortest road to fame and leadership among the Arabs and Muslims. But what good is it if you destroy one of your enemy's buildings, and he destroys one of your countries? What good is it if you kill one of his people, and he kills a thousand of yours? That, in short, is my evaluation of 9/11."
Sayyid Imam al-Sharif, founding member of al-Qaeda (quoted in the Telegraph)
Granted this is from someone stuck in an Egyptian prison, which Amnesty International claims is no Club Med. But still interesting. Then again, if al-Qaeda continues to splinter, does that gives us more things to keep track of? Besides, haven't we American's been enlightened enough by now to realize that we are not fighting an organization?
This is an eclipse in progess. But it's not the moon covering the sun, it's the earth covering the sun, as seen from the moon. Taken by the Kaguya spacecraft.
Courtesy JAXA
It's all over Facebook, the "25 Ransom Things"....thing. I've debated forever whether to participate. So, then I decided to ramble some random thoughts here and see what I come up with.
- I have six toes on my left foot.
- I like all music from Thorvald Aagaard to ZZ Top. But The Phantom of the Opera soundtrack (preferably the movie) is the one.
- I am not 35 years old.
- I am only really good at one thing and I don't do it any more.
- I fart more then anyone I know.
- My feelings are hurt easily.
- My finely honed technique for covering up my shyness is just as odd to many as shyness.
- I have a secret fantasy of karaoke singing "Think of Me" (from Phantom) after everyone else is done with their rap-crap.
- It was my brother that pooped in the bathtub, not me.
- I write a blog that no one reads and have done so for years.
- I often lie that I have six toes on my left foot.
- My only favorite part about skydiving is after the parachute opens. The freefall part has too much screaming.
- If I had unlimited money, I would move to a small island in the South Pacific and never be heard from again. So, if you don't like me....send cash.
- I seem to have a love-hate relationship with a northern Italian city.
- I do all the environmental things because it saves me money. Screw the planet.
- Porn was more fun when it was harder to get.
- After 25 minutes, I only came up with 17 things....counting this one.
It is interesting to contemplate an entangled bank, clothed with many plants of many kinds, with birds singing on the bushes, with various insects flitting about, and with worms crawling through the damp earth, and to reflect that these elaborately constructed forms, so different from each other, and dependent on each other in so complex a manner, have all been produced by laws acting around us. These laws, taken in the largest sense, being Growth with Reproduction; inheritance which is almost implied by reproduction; Variability from the indirect and direct action of the external conditions of life, and from use and disuse; a Ratio of Increase so high as to lead to a Struggle for Life, and as a consequence to Natural Selection, entailing Divergence of Character and the Extinction of less-improved forms. Thus, from the war of nature, from famine and death, the most exalted object which we are capable of conceiving, namely, the production of the higher animals, directly follows. There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved.
From the LA Times:
Sen. Patrick Leahy, chairman of the judiciary committee, says a bipartisan inquiry could answer questions about warrantless surveillance, interrogations and other aspects of the war on terrorism.
This is interesting on a few levels. First, the same body who's job it is to provide oversight, is now interested in oversight. You could say it's because now the democrats are in charge, but the article says it's a bipartisan inquiry.
Second, I'd love to get to the bottom of all the b.s. the Bush administration did, not just warrantless surveillance and interrogations, but also incompetence in handling pre-911 intelligence and Katrina. But, will the Obama administration agree to post-presidential second guessing? Remember, he's the next to be "post-presidential". And he promised there would be no "business as usual". This could be considered getting back at the other guys.
At this point, I'll resist the urge to say "about f'in time folks" and just see what really becomes of this. My guess...it won't go much further then an article in the LA Times.
...according to CNN
$50 million for NASA eliminated which is good because they keep trying to give us all that unhappy science about the planet dying. Thank god the Bush Administration protected us from that reality for so long.
$100 million cut for science: In CNN's quality reporting, they don't give details. But who needs details. Science is bad. I hate when facts get in the way of my argument and besides, all the good stuff is thought up by politicians anyway.
$100 million from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (original bill $427 million): We don't need these guys. We know what a hurricane does.
$3.5 billion for energy-efficient federal buildings (original bill $7 billion): Making buildings more energy-efficient is an investment in the future. Just like the bridge to no-where in Alaska. Hey, someday...there will be a town.
$2 billion for broadband eliminated: Again, this is undefined. Besides, thats not much. I'm thinking my Verizon Internet bill will be about that in a year or so.
$1 billion for Head Start/Early Start eliminated: Keep 'em dumb, and as soon as possible. We have enough smart people, we've done just great so far.
$1 billion for Energy Loan Guarantees was eliminated: We really want you to go solar...and we want you to pay full price. Keep your eye on the real ball here people.
Just a taste. Love to know what was kept, but CNN, with their quality reporting, did not give that information, at least in this article.
And I wonder of this is still in there?
On Twitter today, I posted that I watched Rick Sanchez on CNN for the first time. I wondered if the show "could be any more full of itself". This brought about a reply from a friend who mentioned Lew Dobbs.
'SLAM!' I fell into the trap.
I've been out of the "news" business too long and forgot. CNN, the show producer, even Rick Sanchez himself, know the show is a piece of crap. These people are not stupid. Wait, it's possible Rick doesn't know. I've worked with Lou Dobbs. His act is so he can keep employed.
The "news" business is so competitive that they will do anything to get people to watch. They will embarrass themselves, toss aside any sense of self respect or professionalism, to get viewers. That's the part I forgot. I found their show so stupid, I mentioned it on Twitter.
I mentioned it. They got a reaction. They got what they wanted. Their plan worked.
Don't complain about TV. And for god's sake, don't go off on a fit when you see "news" do something retarded. Trust me, I know....you want to change TV...it's simple. Don't watch it. Neilsen is god.
Thats why, the most important button on your remote control is the one appropriately labeled... POWER.
From the BBC:
A man tried to smuggle two pigeons into Australia. In his pants. And a couple of eggs. Unless the eggs were for something else.
No word on if the pigeons enjoyed the inflight movie, "The March of the Penguins".
Is it possible for someone to take advantage of social networks, to speak their mind, to give their opinions, to vent frustrations online when their boss is on the same network? Is it fair that a manager tells an employee that their personal social network post is not to his/her liking, even if the authors employer is never mentioned? As I started on Facebook, and saw it filled with coworkers and senior managers, I began to wonder. I decided to avoid friending certain people just to avoid having that issue. Unfortunately, like a virus, everyone sees everyones else's posts, friends or not. I started to ask people where I work, a group much more tuned into social networks then I, what they thought. I discovered they all, every single one, has avoided posting, or posted highly sanitized status updates. I guess that answers why there are so many "walking my cat" posts. I've been told stories of a bit more severity, but for the sake of those people, I'm going to avoid writing any of the details (Look! I just wrote a "walking my cat" post!). Is a great idea to keep up with friends, sharing your life, just becoming yet another place you are being watched, and your personnel expressions repressed for the sake of your employer? And if so, is this fair? In an economy where building and keeping a personal network active for the sake of landing a new job, is it right to have to squelch your thoughts for fear of your existing job? This just seems wrong. More like a 1950's sci-fi movie about the government of the future. Are we all pod people? In the past, I have used my blog to toot the company horn just a bit. I was proud of my company and what I did. I even listed "self-appointed evangeleist" in my blogger profile. But to me, it needs to be a two way street, and I don't think the in current climate, that is going to be the case. I've been told to "speak to power", but I think doing so is politically fatal in the workplace. The "collaborative environment" is an exercise in walking on egg shells. So today, I have deleted all posts related to my employer. Most of the links have fallen off anyway, still it's sad that I feel that part of my life needs to be firewalled from the rest. But I have bills I need to pay. And I wonder...does that thought alone get me in trouble at work? Will my curiosity be turned into insinuation? Or is paranoia taking over my brain? Comments please.... (image from www.masternewmedia.org)
I have been thinking about heartless organizations. Some, you know what you are getting in for and you take your chances.
Then there are those that profess such great love and appreciation for their members. From the highest levels, they declare the culture of teamwork and togetherness. They affirm an allegiance with it's members.
However, in truth, in practice, they consider their members as merely a needed item. Being a member of the organization is enough reward for it's members, in their eye.
Being an organization with little conviction for it's members and the clarity to explain that position is understandable. Being an organization with little conviction for it's members while professing otherwise is hypocrisy.
From the LA Times:
Republicans signaled Sunday that they would not be daunted by President Obama's soaring approval ratings, criticizing his proposed $825-billion economic stimulus plan, his strategy for closing the prison at Guantanamo Bay and his decision to exempt a top-ranking Pentagon appointee from new ethics rules.
It's amazing. I was hoping the Republicans got the message that the American people were so pissed at them, they should stand up to apologize, then sit down and shut up.
From Spaceweather.com, newly-discovered asteroid 2009 BD is slowly passing by Earth today only 400,000 miles away. The approximately 10 meter-wide space rock poses no significant threat, but it merits attention anyway: The orbit of 2009 BD appears to be almost identical to the orbit of Earth. 2009 BD may be a rare "co-orbital asteroid," circling the sun in near-tandem with our planet. If current measurements of the asteroid's orbit are correct, 2009 BD will remain in Earth's neighborhood for many months and possibly years to come.
Gabrielle Giffods, Democrat from Arizona will be the new chairwoman of the House Science and Technology, Science and Aerospace Subcommittee.
She's also married to astronaut Mark Kelly.
Ok, he's a Space Shuttle Astronaut (think Houston, Texas), she's a US House Rep from Arizona spending, oh gee, a fair amount of time in Washington, DC. So, if anyone thinks the connection to an astronaut will be a conflict, think again. It's doubtful these two see alot of each other, and when they do, I doubt they are talking Constellation funding.
I've seen this play all the way through once before, I'm living about midway through it again now, and I see another starting up.
It starts with the koolaid, all the excitement, high...very high...expectations...that go unmanaged because those in charge are benefiting from them.
Then comes the inevitable reality and sometimes all out failure. A small group of people decide to take charge and try to "save it", which brings about the secrecy as this group fails to keep everyone informed. The feeling of "family" and working together is lost. This in turn, just makes matters worse.
Disillusionment follows, disappointment.
Or not...
I got an email from someone that gave me the impression this person cared about what people were feeling. What was odd was I never got the impression this person cared much about how people felt...he seems aloof, distant, not approchable at all.
After giving it some thought, I realized this person was interested in what people were thinking...not feeling. And that has completely different modivations.
For me it was an interesting excercise and a learning experience in human interactions.
This the most impressive photo I've seen in a long time. Not sure if I'm thrilled because it is Barack Obama, or because it is not another old white guy, or because it's not George Bush.
(photo from Christian Science Monitor web site)
This email from my job:
..."my company" will contribute up to $20/month for expenses related to commuting via bicycle. Expenses include storage fees, maintenance and other costs associated with owning and using a bicycle".
How did this come about? The US Congress inserted this tidbit into the Financial Bailout Bill!
Hey, sorry we can't help you keep your house, but if you ride your bike to the homeless shelter, here's $20!
Way to stay focused, Congress.
I am now convinced that the ability to make a timely decision is not a skill not everyone has. The lack of this skill also leads to this persons inability to understand why those around them want to kill them.
The career path for this type of person: TV "Producer".
Wow, it seems it's been longer then I thought since I posted. Along came Twitter and the Facebook and it seems I only have so many places I can write something worth writing....who knows worth reading.
I Don't Know
General David Petraeus
when asked if the Iraq War has made Americans safer.
Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates
when asked if the War in Iraq was worth it.
US Attorney General Gonzales
answer to quite a few questions.
You know that stuff they put in soaps that kills germs? It will kill you, according to an interview in the otherwise rockin' podcast "This Week In Science".
Trying to live on science alone.
So I sent this package from San Francisco to Oakland, across the Bay. After leaving San Francisco, it's first stop was Oakland. Trip over? No. It then boarded a plane for Memphis, Tenn where it sat for 4 hours where it put on a plane for, you guessed it, Oakland!
When I was at CNN, our blooper reel ran hours long. This is full of classics including CNN President Reese Schoenfeld voicing his displeasure...on the air.
At 3 minutes in, the guy in the red sweater is me!
"Searches are up for 'Mandela' after President Bush gave a press conference...and opened his mouth."
Graeme Smith, Google Current UK
Does it work? If you see it, it does.
Post one. Lets see how this goes. I'm trying Blogger for the first time. I'm curious to see how it goes. I was hoping the new iWeb would work the way I wanted, but it doesn't seem to be the case. so...
Let the experiment begin. Look to see a flurry of worthless posts while I play with the new site.
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