jueves, 30 de abril de 2009

Mexico Senate OKs bill to legalize drug possesion

MEXICO CITY, April 28 (Reuters) - Mexico's Senate approved a bill on Tuesday decriminalizing possession of small amounts of narcotics for personal use, in order to free resources to fight violent drug cartels.

Source:
http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN28349522?rpc=64

Teen vanishes after arguing with teacher

On May 4, 2007, Kara Kopetsky, a 17-year-old high school junior in Belton, Missouri mysteriously vanished after she had an argument with the teacher.

Check it out here:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/04/28/grace.coldcase.kopetsky/index.html

Vienna Named City With Worlds Best Quality of Living

SYDNEY (Reuters Life!) - Vienna has beaten Zurich to be crowned the place with the best quality of living in an annual survey in which European cities dominated the top 10. Management consultancy Mercer said Vienna scored the highest for...

The full story is here:
http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-39287920090428?rpc=64

Jon Stewarts Extended Interview with Cliff May

On last night's Daily Show, Jon Stewart's interview with The Foundation for Defense of Democracies President Cliff May turned to the subject of torture.

Things got so intense and involved that the segment had to be edited for time, but here now is the complete discussion.

Link source:
http://blog.indecisionforever.com/2009/04/29/jon-stewarts-extended-interview-with-cliff-may/

Milan Police Seize UBS JPMorgan Deutsche Bank Funds

April 28 (Bloomberg) - Milans financial police seized 476 million euros ($620 million) of assets belonging to UBS AG, Deutsche Bank AG, JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Depfa Bank amid a probe into alleged fraud linked to the sale of derivatives. - Like the torture cases being investigated in Spain, apparently Americans need to rely on Europe for justice

Link:
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aisvHIHmcwQs&refer=home

Banks Now Bulldozing Foreclosed McMansions

What a waste, all the way around.

Get the low-down here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvrc7x3Amps

Obama targets tea bags at town hall

At his 100th-day town hall meeting in St.

Louis Wednesday, President Barack Obama took direct aim at the anti-tax tea party demonstrations that have cropped up over the last month and took a veiled shot at the Fox News

From:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0409/21870.html

miércoles, 29 de abril de 2009

The Bogus Bank Recovery

At its core, the financial crisis is about uncertainty; who%27s holding what, how much it's worth, when it will blow up.

From:
http://www.newsweek.com/id/195099?digg=1

Workers find message hidden in Auschwitz wall

Workers demolishing the wall of a building that once belonged to the former Nazi German Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp have found a message in a bottle written by prisoners 65 years ago, Auschwitz museum officials said.

Check it:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/04/28/2554179.htm

Limbaugh To Specter Take McCain And His Daughter With You

Reaction from top GOP officials to the defection of Sen.

Arlen Specter has been decidedly mixed. The less orthodox are interpreting the news as a validation of their biggest concerns, while the dyed-in-the-wool types wave 'good riddance.'

From:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/28/limbaugh-to-specter-take_n_192382.html

Serb cut off finger to protest overdue wages

And then he ate it.

Get the low-down here:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090427/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_serbia_finger

One Nation Under Banks With Justice for No One Jonathan We

shows how involved Mr Geithner is with the bankers on Wall Street.

Get the low-down here:
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601039&refer=columnist_weil&sid=aXHVu97lAGjs

Specter To Switch Parties Dems now filibusterproof

Pennsylvania Sen.

Arlen Specter will switch his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat and announced today that he will run in 2010 as a Democrat, according to a statement he released this morning. Specter's decision would give Democrats a 60 seat filibuster proof majority in the Senate assuming Democrat Al Franken is eventually sworn in.

Link:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/senate/specter-to-switch-parties.html

martes, 28 de abril de 2009

World moves to contain flu spread

Governments around the world have been hurrying to contain the spread of a new swine flu virus after outbreaks were reported in Mexico, the US and Canada.

Source:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8019882.stm

President Obama Furious Over Manhattan Plane Incident

A White House official tells ABC News that President Obama was "furious" to hear about the incident this morning when Air Force One and Air Force fighter jets appeared to be flying into the Manhattan skyline.

The full story is here:
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/04/president-ob-28.html

GOP Calls for Investigation of Previous Administration

A deluge of GOP leaders have come out with a full-throated call to open up wide-ranging investigations into the former administration's abuses of power.

The full story is here:
http://www.eyesonobama.com/blog/content/id_52433/title_Breaking-GOP-Calls-for-Investigation-of-Previous-Administration/

Fox manipulates Obama video to produce false quote

During the April 24 edition of Fox News' Special Report, White House correspondent Wendell Goler cropped a comment by President Obama and took it out of context -- effectively reversing the statement's meaning -- to falsely suggest that Obama supports creating a health care system "like the European countries."

Check it out here:
http://mediamatters.org/items/200904250003

Money for Nothing

Its necessary to rescue Wall Street to protect the economy, but financial firms should be acting like public utilities, not returning to the practices and paychecks of 2007.

Source:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/27/opinion/27krugman.html

lunes, 27 de abril de 2009

BNP candidate arrested on suspicion of selling illegal arms

BBC - David Lucas was arrested on suspicion of selling illegal firearms

Check it:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/suffolk/8016752.stm

Judge Says Its High Time We Legalized Marijuana

A state lawmaker from San Francisco has introduced legislation to decriminalize marijuana and regulate it like alcohol.

It has been endorsed by a retired Orange County judge who used to be a federal prosecutor. In his view, it's 'high time' -- so to speak -- for another approach to marijuana.

Check it:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30406810

Iran arms ship bound for Gaza downed near Sudan

An Iranian vessel laden with weapons bound for the Gaza Strip was torpedoed off the coast of Sudan last week, allegedly by Israeli or American forces operating in the area, the Egyptian newspaper Al-Usbu reported on Sunday.

Link source:
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1081215.html

How an FBI agent got Abu Zubaydah to talk without Torture

We Could Have Done This the Right Way

Source:
http://www.newsweek.com/id/195089?digg=1

domingo, 26 de abril de 2009

The Daily Show on Bachmann speaking crazy to power

Minnesota Representative and free-range cougar Michele Bachmann got prominent play on The Daily Show last night as a key example of conservatives speaking crazy to power. At 2:50 into the clip (below), host Jon Stewart plays Bachmanns recent comments that an expansion of the AmeriCorps program might lead to PC re-education camps.

Read the full story here:
http://minnesotaindependent.com/31489/the-daily-show-on-bachmann-speaking-crazy-to-power

Obama Repeatedly Reminds House GOP Of Their 0 Stimulus Votes

A major overhaul of the health care system, he told the Republican leadership, would be done using a legislative process known as reconciliation, meaning that the GOP won't be able to filibuster it.

Source:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/24/obama-repeatedly-reminded_n_191207.html

sábado, 25 de abril de 2009

Obama will not use the word genocide in statement today

On the day that begun the genocide of Armenians in Turkey in 1915, Obama will not use the word genocide in his statement.

Yet again we have a president refusing to back up his promises on finally declaring this what it is- one of the worst genocides in human history. So much for change.

Get the low-down here:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-obama-genocide25-2009apr25,0,2595139.story

Reclaiming Americas Soul

The only way for the nation to regain its moral compass is to investigate how the governments interrogation abuses happened, and, if necessary, to prosecute those responsible.

Read the full story here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/24/opinion/24krugman.html

Naked Wizard Taser Brawl At Coachella VIDEO NSFW

The police officers beg and plead for the man to put on his robes, but all the Naked Wizard wants to do is be free of his wizard sleeves and hang in the breeze.

He throws his colorful garb onto the grass. "It doesn't have to stop," the Naked Wizard says.

Check it:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/23/naked-wizard-tazered-at-c_n_190502.html

ExCIA Official Agency Brass Lied to Congress About Torture

Former CIA official Mary O.

McCarthy had accused senior agency officials of lying to members of Congress during an intelligence briefing in 2005 when they said the agency did not violate treaties that bar, cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment of detainees during interrogations. In April 2006, 10 days before she was to retire, McCarthy was fired.

Source:
http://www.pubrecord.org/torture/861-ex-cia-official-said-agency-brass-lied-to-congress-about-interrogations.html

FBI agent who interrogated Al Queda says torture unnecessary

A former F.B.I. agent who questioned Abu Zubaydah in 2002 says the terrorist operative provided important intelligence under traditional interrogation methods.

Check it:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/23/opinion/23soufan.html

New jobless claims rise more than expected to 640K

It is getting worse.

Link source:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090423/ap_on_bi_go_ec_fi/us_economy;_ylt=AvJV1EAAyd8i5mfW0XB_rR.s0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTJjNzJtNzdlBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMDkwNDIzL3VzX2Vjb25vbXkEY3BvcwM0BHBvcwMxMQRzZWMDeW5fdG9wX3N0b3J5BHNsawNuZXdqb2JsZXNzY2w-

viernes, 24 de abril de 2009

Jim Webb Says Drug Legalization is On the Table

The leader of a congressional effort to reform the criminal justice system said Thursday that all issues " including drug legalization " need to be on the table.

Sen. Jim Webb, who has made criminal justice and prison reform a signature issue of his this year in Congress, is the most high-profile lawmaker to indicate openness to drug legalization

The full story is here:
http://briefingroom.thehill.com/2009/04/23/webb-pot-legalization-on-the-table-in-prison-reform-effort/

Craigslist policy on illegal sex ads after murder

The chief executive of Craigslist has denied the website offers sex-related advertising. In the wake of the murder of Julissa Brisman, a 26-year-old masseuse who met her alleged killer after posting an ad on the site, Jim Buckmaster said offers to exchange sexual favors for money are "strictly prohibited" and removed.

Source:
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2009/04/23/2009-04-23_craigslist_ceo_.html

Zombie Chrysler Doesnt Need FiatIt Needs GM

More than the impossibility of getting a takeover accomplished on paper by the end of next week, it simply doesn't make sense for Fiat to strap on a bloated, teetering entity like the Chrysler.

So what does make sense in this end of days for two of the Big Three? It's simple. Fiat takes on Opel and Saturn.

From:
http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1020223_fiat-gm-and-chrysler-what-needs-to-happen

Rice Cheney Approved Waterboarding

Then-national security adviser Condoleezza Rice verbally OK'd the CIA's request to subject alleged al-Qaida terrorist Abu Zubaydah to waterboarding in July 2002, a decision memorialized a few days later in a secret memo that the Obama administration declassified last week.

Check it:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/22/condoleezza-rice-cheney-a_n_190340.html

US Soldier Killed Herself After Refusing Torture Duty

Peterson, 27, a Flagstaff, Ariz., native, served with C Company, 311th Military Intelligence BN, 101st Airborne.

Peterson was an Arabic-speaking interrogator assigned to the prison at our air base in troubled Tal Afar in northwestern Iraq. According to official records, she died on Sept. 15, 2003, from a "non-hostile weapons discharge."

Link:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/greg-mitchell/us-soldier-killed-herself_b_190517.html

jueves, 23 de abril de 2009

Taliban tighten their grip on Pakistans northwest

ISLAMABAD - Taliban militants from Pakistan's Swat Valley are tightening their grip on a neighboring northwest district closer to the capital " patrolling roads, broadcasting sermons and spreading fear in another sign that a government-backed peace deal has emboldened the extremists to spread their reign.

The full story is here:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090422/ap_on_re_as/as_pakistan;_ylt=AgQlW6KsTItAl2lHYoFbrgZvaA8F

John Stossel Says Legalize Drugs to Stop Violence

Americans also have a hefty demand for Mexican beer, but there are no "Mexican beer cartels." When Obama visits France, he doesn't consult with politicians about "wine violence." What's happening on the Mexican border is prohibition-caused violence.

From:
http://www.creators.com/opinion/john-stossel/prohibition-spawns-drug-violence.html

DOJ Had Prosecuted Texas Sheriff For Waterboarding Prisoners

In 1983, the Justice Department prosecuted a Texas sheriff and three of his deputies for waterboarding prisoners to get them to confess to crimes.

The deputies were sentenced to four years in prison and the sheriff got a 10-year sentence. Yet that case is not cited in the torture memos DOJ released that authorized the CIA to waterboard detainees

From:
http://www.pubrecord.org/torture/854-doj-prosecuted-texas-sheriff-in-1983-for-waterboarding-prisoners.html

OC to pay illegal alien child molester 4 million dollars

Orange County officials have agreed to pay more than $4 million to settle a lawsuit brought by an undocumented Mexican immigrant who was beaten by inmates while in custody at the Orange County jail.

The man had been arrested for molesting a 6-year-old girl at a park.

The full story is here:
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/county-ramirez-eisenberg-2370202-chamberlain-jail

Iraqi children trained by alQaeda to be suicide bombers

Iraqi security forces have arrested four children who were allegedly part of a group of youngsters being groomed by al-Qaeda to become suicide bombers, an Iraqi army general said.

The children, who were detained in a village near the northern city of Kirkuk, were part of a cell known as the Birds of Paradise and were being specially trained...

Source:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article6135887.ece

Acting head of Freddie Mac commits suicide

The acting head of Freddie Mac, David Kellermann, has apparently committed suicide, Fairfax County Police tell WTOP.

Fairfax County Police spokeswoman Mary Anne Jennings says Kellermann, 41, was found at his Hunter Mill Estates home Wednesday morning. Jennings says police responded to the home after family members called police around 5 a.m.

Link source:
http://www.wtopnews.com/?sid=1657033&nid=25

Rep Jane Harman Angry Partisan Civil Liberties Extremist

Overnight, the Blue Dog has been transformed from champion of the Lawless Surveillance State into a shrill advocate of investigations.

Get the low-down here:
http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/04/21/harman/index.html

miércoles, 22 de abril de 2009

Obama Bush Officials Prosecutions Possible

President Barack Obama is leaving the door to open to possible prosecution of Bush administration officials who devised harsh terrorism-era interrogation tactics.

Read the full story here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/21/obama-administration-bush_n_189521.html

FBI workers accused of spying on dressing room

Two FBI workers are accused of using surveillance equipment to spy on teenage girls as they undressed and tried on prom gowns at a charity event at a West Virginia mall. Your tax dollars at work.

Link:
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D97MF9I00&show_article=1

Screw the Recession How to Spend Less and Get More

A new tax year has begun which provides a great opportunity to do a little financial spring cleaning.

Even in a tough economy, it is possible to spend less without making major sacrifices.

Check it:
http://i.gizmodo.com/5220241/screw-the-recession-how-to-spend-less-and-get-more

Tijuanas Got Talent Mexicans Escape Drug War at the Opera

Look out Susan Boyle and Paul Potts! In Tijuana--where drug cartels fight daily for street primacy, leaving a trail of shootouts, decapitations and kidnappings--Mexicanos have sought refuge indoors in Cafe de la Opera where soprano Zully Martinez is singing Puccini, Verdi and 'Besame Mucho.'

Get the low-down here:
http://articles.latimes.com/2009/mar/20/world/fg-tijuana-opera20

Holocaust Remembrance Day [PICs]

Holocaust Remembrance Day [PICs]

From:
http://www.upi.com/News_Photos/Features/Holocaust-Remembrance-Day/1815/

Feinstein Caught in Conflict of Interest

Conflict of interest? Not when it's intentional. When are we going to start ruining the lives of these career criminals?

Check it:
http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/apr/21/senate-husbands-firm-cashes-in-on-crisis/

martes, 21 de abril de 2009

FirstEver Nationwide ProMarijuana TV Ad Campaign Is Launch

First-Ever Nationwide Pro-Marijuana TV Ad Campaign Is Launched in Conjunction with 4/20²

Get the low-down here:
http://blog.norml.org/2009/04/19/first-ever-nationwide-pro-marijuana-tv-ad-campaign-is-launched-in-conjunction-with-420/

Sun and Oracle

REDWOOD SHORES, Calif., April 20, 2009 -- Oracle Corporation (NASDAQ: ORCL) and Sun Microsystems (NASDAQ: JAVA) announced today they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Oracle will acquire Sun common stock for $9.50 per share in cash.

The transaction is valued at approximately $7.4 billion, or $5.6 billion net of Sun's cash and deb

Check it:
http://www.sun.com/third-party/global/oracle/index.jsp

Dimplomacy wtf is that

Sen.

John Ensign, R-Nevada, told CNN Sunday it was "irresponsible" for President Obama to have been seen "laughing and joking" with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez at the Summit of the Americas.

Link:
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/04/19/senator-says-obamas-appearance-with-chavez-irresponsible/

Wiretap Recorded Rep Harman Promising to Intervene For AIPAC

Rep.

Jane Harman , the California Democrat with a longtime involvement in intelligence issues, was overheard on an NSA wiretap telling a suspected Israeli agent that she would lobby the Justice Department reduce espionage-related charges against two officials of the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee.

The full story is here:
http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=hsnews-000003098436&cpage=1

Why Is Ahmadinejad Helping Journalist Roxana Saberi

Known more for being a regular sparring partner with the U.S., the Iranian President has made a rare intervention into an American journalist's case by declaring that she should have the legal right to defend herself

Source:
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1892488,00.html?iid=digg_share

lunes, 20 de abril de 2009

Volcker Says Feds Authority Probably to Be Reviewed

Itll be very interesting to see what the role of the Federal Reserve will be, Volcker said.

The possibilities range all the way from giving the Federal Reserve more supervisory and regulatory responsibility to largely taking away those powers.

Check it:
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=ainh3qdHJuoM&refer=home

Harvard Medical Students Rebel Against Big Pharma

The revolt began when a first year medical student "grew wary" when a professor promoted cholesterol drugs and "seemed to belittle a student who asked about side effects." He later discovered that the professor, a full-time Harvard Medical faculty member, was a paid consultant to 10 drug companies, including manufacturers of cholesterol drugs.

Check it:
http://www.ahrp.org/cms/content/view/523/9/

Grisly slayings brings Mexican drug war to US

A type of crime, and criminal, once foreign to this landscape of blooming dogwoods had arrived in Shelby County.

Sheriff Chris Curry felt it even before he laid eyes on the grisly scene. He called the state. The FBI. The DEA. Anyone he could think of. "I don't know what I've got," he warned them. "But I'm gonna need help."

Link:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090418/ap_on_re_us/drug_war_the_fight_at_home

Spanish Judge Allows Bush Six Torture Case to Remain Open

Spain's attorney general, Candido Conde-Pumpido, recommended that the judge, Baltasar Garz³n, should dismiss a complaint, brought by human rights lawyers, against six Bush administration lawyers who sanctioned torture.

But on Friday, the judge resisted pressure and said he will allow the case to proceed.

Check it:
http://www.pubrecord.org/torture/844-spanish-judge-allows-torture-case-against-bush-six-to-move-forward.html

UN torture investigator Obama has broken International law

The United Nations top torture investigator has suggested it is illegal under International law for President Barack Obama to announce that the United States government has no intention of prosecuting low-level CIA officers who carried out torture sanctioned by the Bush Administratio

Check it out here:
http://rawstory.com/08/blog/2009/04/18/un-torture-investigator-obama-has-broken-international-law/

domingo, 19 de abril de 2009

Obama to ask agency heads for budget cuts

President Barack Obama said Saturday he will ask all of his department and agency heads for specific proposals for cutting their budgets at his Cabinet meeting early next week as he searches for ways to streamline government spending.

The full story is here:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090418/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_economy;_ylt=Ai7UUjV.HHzv6efGRGt.dweyFz4D

Texas House votes to slash Gov Rick Perrys budgetOh SNAP

In response to Gov.

Perry stating that Texas would succeed from the US, the Texas House has slashed Perrys budget for the governors office by 96%. Take that you democrat turned republican wuss...

Get the low-down here:
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/041909dntexhousebudget.e4ed7a0a.html

Obama offers Cuba new beginning with pic and video

President Barack Obama says the US seeks a "new beginning" with Cuba at the opening of the Summit of the Americas.

The full story is here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8004798.stm

Bushs Torture Program Were Democrats Complicit

One day after the Obama administration released four gruesome Bush-era torture memos, a majority of Democrats have remained collectively silent on whether the disclosures warrant a full-scale criminal investigation.

That begs the question: were Democrats aware of the torture program and are simply remaining silent because they approved it?

Link:
http://www.pubrecord.org/torture/839-bushs-torture-program-were-democrats-complicit.html

Report Shows Torture Is Widespread in Iraq TIME

The United States may now have abjured torture but Baghdad continues the violent tradition, with little sign of diminution

Get the low-down here:
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1892038,00.html?iid=digg_share

sábado, 18 de abril de 2009

McCain Campaign Manager Religion Could Kill The GOP

Speaking publicly for one of the first times since the end of the presidential campaign, John McCain's campaign manager Steve Schmidt painted a dire portrait of the state of the Republican Party, arguing that the GOP has largely been co-opted by its religious elements.

Source:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/17/steve-schmidt-mccain-camp_n_188354.html

POLL 75 of Texans would NOT secede if put to vote

Texas voters say that their state has the right to secede from the United States and form an independent country. However, the latest Rasmussen Reports poll in the state finds that if the matter was put to a vote, it wouldnt even be close.

Three-fourths (75%) of Lone Star State voters would opt to remain in the United States.

Read the full story here:
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/states_general/texas/in_texas_31_say_state_has_right_to_secede_from_u_s_but_75_opt_to_stay

Pentagon Closes Office Accused of Propaganda Under Bush

Critics said the office overstepped its mandate by trying to organize information operations that violated Pentagon guidelines for accuracy and transparency....

Check it:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/16/us/politics/16policy.html

A Copper Standard for the worlds currency system

Hard money enthusiasts have long watched for signs that China is switching its foreign reserves from US Treasury bonds into gold bullion.

They may have been eyeing the wrong metal.

Link source:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/ambroseevans_pritchard/5160120/A-Copper-Standard-for-the-worlds-currency-system.html

Couple want backyard back

"He didnt figure the police would side with the squatters, as he calls them.

He didnt expect that after installing new locks to keep them out, hed be asked by an officer to open the doors and let them back in. He could........"

Link:
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/apr/17/couple-want-backyard-back/

Norm Coleman now says We will never know who won

His statement came after seven Minnesota judges...concluded that Al Franken won Minnesotas 2008 election for U.S.

Senate.

Check it:
http://minnesotaindependent.com/32417/coleman-we-will-never-know-who-won

viernes, 17 de abril de 2009

Holy Sht Nokias Net Plunges 90

The world's largest mobile-phone maker said net profit in the three months ended March 31 plummeted to ‚¬122 million ($161.3 million) from ‚¬1.22 billion last year, missing analysts' expectations for ...

Source:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123987714448824693.html#mod=djemalertTECH

Mintcom How to Invest for Less

In a down market, especially when many investment portfolio values have been slashed by 30 or 40 percent over the course of a year, its become painfully apparent that a large part of those losses comes in the form of the fees you pay to invest your money.

From:
http://www.mint.com/blog/finance-core/how-to-invest-for-less/

IMF warns over parallels to Great Depression

The International Monetary Fund has warned of "worrisome parallels" between the current global crisis and the Great Depression, despite the unprecedented steps already taken by central banks and governments worldwide.

Check it out here:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financetopics/recession/5166956/IMF-warns-over-parallels-to-Great-Depression.html

The Great Recession America Becomes Thrift Nation

The economic downturn is transforming how we spend, whom we trust, where we save and what we really value

The full story is here:
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1891527,00.html?iid=digg_share

jueves, 16 de abril de 2009

Bernard Goldberg Hannity Going Too Far In Obama Attacks

On last night's edition of Hannity, the end of the Somali pirate standoff seemed to drive a wedge between the show's host and one of his frequent guests, conservative commentator and author Bernard Goldberg.

From:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/14/bernard-goldberg-hannity_n_186613.html

North Korea says it will boycott sixparty nuclear talks

North Korea said Tuesday it was restarting its rogue nuclear program, booting U.N. inspectors and pulling out of disarmament talks in an angry reaction to U.N.

Security Council condemnation of its April 5 rocket launch.

From:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-as-nkorea-missile,0,6267827.story

Hightech vs the pirates

The U.S.

Navy Military use High-tech vs. the pirates

Check it:
http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/04/13/1890480.aspx

Rush Limbaughs 10 Dumbest Remarks

A series of quotes from America's king of flatulent utterances.

Check it:
http://mtblog.vanityfair.com/online/politics/2009/03/rush-limbaughs-10-dumbest-remarks.html

miércoles, 15 de abril de 2009

Thousands of dolphins block Somali pirates

Chinese merchant ships escorted by a China's fleet sailed on the Gulf of Aden when they met some suspected pirate ships.

Thousands of dolphins suddenly leaped out of water between pirates and merchants when the pirate ships headed for the China's. The suspected pirates ships stopped and then turned away.TIP: Follow "next page" links for PICS!

Link:
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-04/14/content_7676526.htm

Groundhog Day in Pyongyang

FTA: With this wrist slap for Kim, the Obama Administration has now had its first experience with the limits of the U.N. as the enforcer of global order and nonproliferation.

It won't be the last. See Darfur (feckless denunciation of), and Iran, which just announced it has 7,000 nuclear centrifuges and counting.

Get the low-down here:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123966902509815497.html

Homeland Security Warns of Rise in RightWing Extremism

Unclassified DHS document warns law enforcement of threat of "right-wing terrorists" due to black president, economy and imposition of gun control laws.

Source:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/04/14/homeland-security-warns-rise-right-wing-extremism/

Bush Six to be indicted by Spainish Prosecutors

Spanish prosecutors have decided to press forward with a criminal investigation targeting former U.S. attorney general Alberto Gonzales and five top associates over their role in the torture of five Spanish citizens held at Guantnamo, several reliable sources close to the investigation have told The Daily Beast.

Their decision is expected to be an

Link:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-04-13/the-bush-six-to-be-indicted/

Goldman Sachs To Repay TARP Funds As 1Q Profit Surges

The investment bank delivered first-quarter earnings that sailed past even the most optimistic predictions and plans to raise $5 billion in stock to help pay back government bailout funds.

It would become the first big U.S. bank to repay federal loans extended last autumn at the height of the credit crisis.

Check it:
http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20090413-709963.html

Meghan McCain to the GOP Go Gay

McCain says that Republican resistance to gay marriage goes against conservative values"and conservatives' own self-interests. She couldn't be more right.

Link source:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-04-13/a-gayer-gop/

martes, 14 de abril de 2009

Dropping the phrase war on terror is a smart move

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton let slip last week that the Obama administration has abandoned the phrase "war on terror." Its absence had been noted by commentators.

There was no directive, Clinton said, "it's just not being used." It might seem trivial, but the change in rhetoric marks a significant turning point in the ideological...

The full story is here:
http://article.wn.com/view/2009/04/12/Dropping_the_phrase_war_on_terror_is_a_smart_move/

Al Franken officially wins Minnesota Senate Seat for Dems

Over five months after the election, a three-judge panel has declared Democrat Al Franken the winner of the Minnesota U.S.

Senate race.

Check it out here:
http://kstp.com/news/stories/S877958.shtml?cat=1

Pirates vow to kill US French sailors

Two pirates in Somalia vowed revenge Monday, after the U.S. military killed three pirates and freed a U.S. ship captain who had been held hostage for several days.

Link source:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/04/13/somalia.pirates.revenge/

52 buildings burn on Easter at NH Christian center

ALTON BAY, N.H. " A massive Easter fire has damaged dozens of buildings on the grounds of a Christian center in New Hampshire.

Firefighters tell the News 9 television station in Manchester that 52 buildings burned at the Alton Bay Christian Conference Center, 30 miles northeast of Concord. The buildings are cottage-type seasonal homes.

The full story is here:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090413/ap_on_re_us/christian_center_fire

lunes, 13 de abril de 2009

American captain rescued pirates killed US official says

(CNN) -- The captain of the Maersk Alabama was freed Sunday after being held captive by pirates on a lifeboat off Somalia since Wednesday, a senior U.S. official with knowledge of the situation told CNN.

The full story is here:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/04/12/somalia.pirates/index.html

Mexican Ambassador Tells US To Consider Legalizing Marijuana

Mexican Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan joined CBS' Bob Schieffer on Face the Nation today and said the U.S. should take the debate over marijuana legalization seriously.

He said, "Those that suggest that some of these measures need to be looked at understand the dynamics of the drug trade."

Get the low-down here:
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Mexican_ambassador_US_should_take_marijuana_0412.html

Obama and Habeas Corpus Then and Now

The Obama administration fights harder for the power to abduct people and imprison them with no charges.

Check it out here:
http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/04/11/bagram/index.html

domingo, 12 de abril de 2009

Right Wing Slams Barack Obama For Ordering Pizza Really

Ace of Spades blogs about how Barack Obama's pizza party shows what a huge hypocrite he is. Except the facts don't back it up. Read my exclusive report that tears the lid off of Pizza-gate.

Source:
http://news.aol.com/political-machine/2009/04/10/right-wing-slams-barack-obama-for-ordering-pizza-really/

AntiGayMarriage Ad Sparks YouTube Revolt

There's a storm gathering.

A minute-long TV spot by a group called the National Organization for Marriage is already spawning YouTube parodies of its grave, Terminator-esque warning about gay marriage

From:
http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2009/04/funny-anti-gay.html

Unionized Quebec WalMart workers get 1st contract

It took nearly four years, but unionized workers at a Quebec Wal-Mart store now have their first collective agreement, a first in North America.

A Quebec arbitrator sealed the two-year deal for employees at the St-Hyacinthe Wal-Mart east of Montreal earlier this week.

Get the low-down here:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2009/04/09/mtl-walmart-sthyacinthe-unionized-0409.html

Chinese Bias for Baby Boys Creates a Gap of 32 Million

A British Medical Journal paper says that males under 20 outnumber young females by 32 million, largely because of sex-selective abortion.

Get the low-down here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/11/world/asia/11china.html

Three Presidents and a Hijacking at Sea

Hijacked at sea. President Barack Obama has just joined an exclusive club of three modern presidents of the United States who were all faced with a version of the same problem: what is the right response for the United States when an American ship, or a ship with American passengers, is hijacked at sea?

Check it:
http://spectator.org/archives/2009/04/09/three-presidents-and-a-hijacki

Gay marriage and Iowa Whys everyone so surprised

Once again, a humble Midwestern state is being laughed at by cosmopolitan smarty-pants on the East and West coasts.

The victim this time, of course, is Iowa, which recently had the gall to legalize gay marriage and attempt to mess up decades of perfectly good Midwestern stereotyping. Turns out, Iowa has a long history of being-GASP!-progressive!!

Link:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-defending-iowa-web,0,2979128.story

sábado, 11 de abril de 2009

Rachel Maddow Talks About Teabagging

MSNBC's Rachel Maddow dips into subject of conservative activists expressing themselves through teabagging.

Air America Radio national correspondent Ana Marie Cox offers analysis. Rachel somehow keep from cracking up through most of the segment.

Link source:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/vp/30145811#30145811

Franken Isnt Leading He Won and Coleman Lost

With a 312 vote victory for the Democrat, and nothing left to count, the corporate media continues to misreport the facts of the U.S.

Senate election in Minnesota...

The full story is here:
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7056

Beck imitates Obama pouring gasoline on average American

VIDEO: Fox News' Glenn Beck imitates Barack Obama pouring gasoline on "average American"; says: "President Obama, why don't you just set us on fire? ...

We didn't vote to lose the Republic." You've got to see this to believe it.

Link source:
http://mediamatters.org/countyfair/200904090036

viernes, 10 de abril de 2009

25 Things Vanishing in America pt 2 Customer Service

Modern day life is changing the way companies are doing business, maybe for the worse.

Here is a list of changes I've noticed, especially in the customer service sector. See if you don't agree.

Link:
http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/04/09/25-things-vanishing-in-america-part-2-customer-service/

Obama says timing right for millions to refinance

Declaring "good news" in the midst of an economic meltdown, President Barack Obama on Thursday urged families to take advantage of near-record low mortgage rates by refinancing their home loans. "We are at a time where people can really take advantage of this," Obama said, seated with a handful of homeowners who have already lowered their bills.

Source:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090409/ap_on_re_us/obama_housing

Obama to Push Immigration Bill as One Priority

The president plans to begin addressing the immigration system this year, including looking for a path for illegal immigrants to become legal, an official said.

From:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/09/us/politics/09immig.html

5 Pirated Crews Who Didnt Fare as Well as the Americans

Yes, the captain of a U.S. ship was taken hostage on Wednesday.

But twenty other mariners fought off a Somali attack by taking cues from victims of the past year's surge in piracy " victims who almost literally walked the plank.

Read the full story here:
http://www.esquire.com/the-side/feature/somali-pirate-attack-rescues-040909?src=digg

Republican Rep Makes List Of Socialists In House of Reps

His name is Spencer Bachus and he has made a list -- a secret list! -- of the socialists in the House of Representatives.

Check it out here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/09/spencer-bachus-socialists_n_185364.html

jueves, 9 de abril de 2009

Powerful Aftershock hits Italy quake zone

A powerful aftershock has hit central Italy, nearly two days after a major earthquake caused severe damage.

The 5.5-magnitude tremor brought down masonry from already damaged buildings and was felt as far away as Rome. Rescuers are continuing into the night their search for victims trapped in the rubble from Monday's earthquake.

Check it:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7988832.stm

A Pirates Code of Conduct for BitTorrent

In the 17th century, when groups of men plundered the seas in ships filled with rats and scurvy, they agreed on a code to keep themselves civilly uncivil.

I propose the same for BiTtorrent.

Get the low-down here:
http://i.gizmodo.com/5202399/a-pirates-code-of-conduct-for-bittorrent

3 Pakistanis beheaded in Saudi Arabia for murder

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi authorities have beheaded three Pakistanis convicted of killing a fellow Pakistani man during a jewelry heist.

Read the full story here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/07/AR2009040700963.html

WSJcom Electricity Grid in US Penetrated by Spies

Cyberspies have penetrated the U.S. electrical grid and left behind software that could be used to disrupt the system.

Read the full story here:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123914805204099085.html

Police Brutality Cops Caught Lying About Ian Tomlinson

Video has emerged that shows the Police LIED in regard to the death of Ian Tomlinson at the G20 Protests.

The Police claimed they had tried to protect Mr Tomlinson but had come under attack by the Protesters, this Video clearly shows the Police OUT OF CONTROL launching an UNPROVOKED attack on Mr Tomlinson.

From:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdFBHxNjfD4

Baracknophobia Hannity Bachmann And Beck Terrified Of Oba

Stewart: Insert gun into barrel.

Shoot fish.

Link:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/08/baracknophobia-hannity-ba_n_184568.html

miércoles, 8 de abril de 2009

Iranian nuke plot vaporized in the city NY banks unwittingl

The Manhattan district attorney's office has smashed a sinister plot to smuggle nuclear weapons materials to Iran through unwitting New York banks, the Daily News has learned.

Link source:
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2009/04/07/2009-04-07_iranian_nuke_plot_vaporized_in_the_city_-2.html

Focus on the Family narrator arrested for soliciting teen

A Colorado man who works for Evangelical group Focus on the Family has been arrested after he solicited sex online from an investigator posing as a teenage girl, police have said.

Link source:
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Police_Focus_on_Family_Bible_narrator_0406.html

Study Half of New Americans Hispanic

Hispanics made up nearly half of the more than 1 million people who became U.S. citizens last year, according to a Hispanic advocacy group.

The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials said the number of Latinos who became Americans in fiscal year 2008 more than doubled over the previous year, to 461,317.

Check it:
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1889841,00.html

Congress Slams Defense Budget cuts

Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Monday proposed killing weapons programs that are over budget, behind schedule and out-of-date, urging Congress to rise above parochial interests to support his plan.

Link source:
http://uk.reuters.com/article/burningIssues/idUKTRE53600C20090407

Is Blockbuster on Its Way to Bankruptcy

Blockbuster Inc, the largest store-based U.S. movie rental chain, said the risk that it may not complete a deal to amend its credit facilities raises "substantial doubt" about its ability to continue as a going concern, according to a securities filing on Monday.

The full story is here:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2344572,00.asp?kc=PCRSS03069TX1K0001121

Judge US used mentally ill witness in Guantanamo cases

U.S.

District Judge Emmet Sullivan ruled that the Justice Department improperly withheld important psychiatric records of a government witness who was used in a "significant" number of cases against Guantanamo detainees.

Read the full story here:
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/65608.html

martes, 7 de abril de 2009

Multiple Car Bombs Kill Over 40 People

A series of car bombs exploded Monday in and around Baghdad, killing more than 40 people and injuring dozens more, police and Iraqi officials said.

Source:
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/04/06/Multiple-car-bombs-kill-4-injure-34/UPI-10661239021392/

There Are No Excuses For Ongoing Concealment of Torture Memo

New claims from the Obama DOJ about why key OLC memos remain concealed are irrelevant even if true.

Read the full story here:
http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/04/06/memos/index.html

Paris liberation made whites only

Papers unearthed by the BBC reveal that British and American commanders ensured that the liberation of Paris on 25 August 1944 was seen as a "whites only" victory.

Get the low-down here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7984436.stm

Partisan Gap in Obama Job Approval Widest in Modern Era

For all of his hopes about bipartisanship, Barack Obama has the most polarized early job approval ratings of any president in the past four decades.

Source:
http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1178/polarized-partisan-gap-in-obama-approval-historic

Bachmann Obama Wants Youth In ReEducation Camps

"...I would call re-education camps for young people, where young people have to go and get trained in a philosophy that the government puts forward..."

Source:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/06/bachmann-obama-wants-re-e_n_183552.html

lunes, 6 de abril de 2009

Meacham The End of Christian America Newsweek Religion

The percentage of self-identified Christians has fallen 10 points in the past two decades.

How that statistic explains who we are nowï½and what, as a nation, we are about to become.

The full story is here:
http://www.newsweek.com/id/192583

FUCK the Bailouts

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. congressional budget analysts have raised their estimate of the net cost to taxpayers for the government's financial rescue program to $356 billion, an increase of $167 billion from earlier estimates.

Check it out here:
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE53323420090404?rpc=64

Journalists Have Failed Us Bill Moyers Journal

Moyers talks with Amy Goodman and David Beckmann about the failures of modern journalism and the importance of truth in our current political climate.

Link:
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/04032009/watch2.html

To Russia With Love Degrading the US nuclear arsenal

The Obama Administration wants to replace the soon-to-expire 1991 START treaty with a new regime that would set a ceiling of 1,000 nuclear warheads apiece for the U.S. and Russia.

That would dramatically cut the two countries' existing number of operational weapons, both strategic and nonstrategic, from a current estimated total of about 4,100

From:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123879970564788365.html

domingo, 5 de abril de 2009

2 gay men killed in Iraq after Shiite cleric condemns gays

BAGHDAD (AP) - The bodies of two gay men have been found in Baghdad's Shiite slum of Sadr City after a leading cleric repeatedly condemned homosexuality, an Iraqi police official said Saturday.

The killings come after Shiite cleric Sattar al-Battat repeatedly condemned homosexuality during recent Friday prayers, saying Islam prohibits homosexuality

Link source:
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090404/D97BP3G00.html

The New York Times Threatens to Shut Down Boston Globe

"The New York Times Co. has threatened to shut the Boston Globe unless the newspaper's unions swiftly agree to $20 million in concessions, union leaders said."

Source:
http://www.boston.com/business/ticker/2009/04/times_co_threat.html?p1=Well_MostPop_Emailed3

Should We Kill the Fed

After 9-11, the Fed kept interest rates low"in one year as low as 1 percent.

That money flooded into the housing and stock markets. And in 2008, as the Fed tightened, the bubble burst. Now the money supply is again expanding, to rescue us from a crisis created by the previous expansion.

From:
http://www.chroniclesmagazine.org/index.php/2009/04/03/should-we-kill-the-fed/

Iraq plans to open Saddam museum

Iraq plans to open a museum filled with toppled dictator Saddam Hussein's weapons, statues, paintings, furniture and artefacts, officials told AFP on Saturday.

Check it:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hysvQZ6GUOwbYeoI_uc4caMThP0A

Conyers Calls For A Special Prosecutor to Probe Bush Crimes

Rep.

John Conyers has recommended that Attorney General Eric Holder appoint a special prosecutor to launch a criminal inquiry to investigate, among other things, whether enhanced interrogation techniques used against alleged terrorist detainees violated international and federal laws against torture.

From:
http://www.pubrecord.org/law/815-conyers-calls-for-doj-to-appoint-a-special-counsel-to-probe-bush-crimes.html

There is hope for Marijuana Legalization

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says "we have co-responsibility" for the cartel-driven carnage plaguing our southern border.

These are signs that key people have a clue about the madness that is our drug policy. Through pot legalization, we can bring the marijuana trade out of the shadows and into the safety of the regulated economy.

Get the low-down here:
http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2009/04/04/drugs/

North Korea has launched rocket

North Korea appears to have launched a rocket, reports from Japan and South Korea say.

Link:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7982874.stm

sábado, 4 de abril de 2009

Peter Schiff Vlog Report G20 mark to market abuse

Peter Schiff's daily vlog.

A few comments about the G20 summit, but he mostly discusses the new change in the Mark To Market rule. The rule has been rescinded to allow banks to hold their loans at face value if they are still being paid. Bad idea. Watch and learn why.

The full story is here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqSmNyMM0K8

Obama to Lift Family Travel Ban to Cuba

President Barack Obama plans to lift longstanding U.S. restrictions on Cuba, a senior administration official said, allowing Cuban-Americans to visit families there as often as they like and to send them unlimited funds.

Link source:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123879435046687885.html

Air Force EMail Endorsed Site That Depicted Obama as Hitler

The Air Force has launched a formal investigation to determine whether an e-mail distributed to thousands of Air Force personnel in Europe directing them to visit a far-right, Catholic website where President Barack Obama was compared to Adolf Hitler and the Antichrist violated the militarys position on religious neutrality.

Get the low-down here:
http://www.pubrecord.org/religion/810-air-force-investigating-whether-e-mail-endorsing-religious-site-violated-rules.html

China hitech exam cheats jailed

Eight parents and teachers who used hi-tech equipment to help children cheat in Chinese college entrance exams have been sent to prison.

Read the full story here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7980607.stm

I smoke pot and I like it

If were to begin to roll back our stupid and deadly drug war, the stigma of responsible drug use has got to end, and marijuana is the best place to start.

Well make real progress when solid, upstanding folk come out of the cannabis closet, heads held high. So here we go. My name is Will Wilkinson. I smoke marijuana, and I like it.

Read the full story here:
http://www.theweek.com/article/index/94981/I_smoke_pot_and_I_like_it

Want to Save Some Money Shop Without Touching

Turns out "Don't Squeeze the Charmin" might have been the worst marketing message of all-time.

According to a new study to be published in an upcoming issue of the Journal of Consumer Research, consumers who touch products in the aisles will pay more money for them than those who keep their hands off the merchandise.

Get the low-down here:
http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1889081,00.html

viernes, 3 de abril de 2009

Lawmakers Pay Aides Large Bonuses With Tax Dollars WSJ

Capitol Hill aides received 2008 bonuses that were among the highest in years, a payroll tracker said, even as lawmakers criticized companies.

Last year alone, more than 200 House lawmakers, both Republicans and Democrats, awarded bonuses totaling $9.1 million to more than 2,000 staff members, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis...

Source:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123854799133476409.html

Gingrich warns of third party in 2012

Former House speaker Newt Gingrich is warning of a third party mutiny in 2012 if Republicans dont figure out a way to shape up.

Check it out here:
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/04/02/gingrich-warns-of-third-party-in-2012/

Movie Theaters Stinky Idea to Save Themselves Sushi

The movie theater business, which hasn't radically changed the way it does business in decades, is trying to adapt to the public's changing tastes.

Gerardo "Gerry" Lopez, a former Starbucks exec, was installed last month as CEO at AMC Entertainment Inc., thinks sushi and espresso at the concession stand could save the business

Check it out here:
http://articles.latimes.com/2009/apr/01/business/fi-cotown-amc1?tn=sn