Friday, September 30, 2011
Where's Stimulus?
Uses:
If you can find anything "Kenyesian" about making transfer payments so that there is no local, domestic spending growth, let me know.
Labels: Great Recession, stimulus
friday night is killing me
help feed #occupywallst
and remember the #occupywallst live feed
did the dc reboot do better creating fully-realized female characters? maybe not
we agree w/the fixer's quote of the day
Thursday, September 29, 2011
thursday
sign the petition: end coporate personhood
people hate congress
diebold voting machines can be hacked w/$10 in parts
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
waiting for wednesday
correcting the abysmal ny times coverage of #occupywallst
citizens rise up against citizens united
it's banned books week!
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
tuesday night music club
pepper-spray cop @ #occupywallst accused of civil rights violations during 2004 gop convention
surprise, surprise, joe liberman is screwing the democrats again
why netflix is splitting in two
Monday, September 26, 2011
skippy's monday night music club
Labels: music, skippy's music club, youtube
stormy monday - occupy wall street edition
here's one peaceful protestor's account of her arrest and detention
32 pictures of police brutality @ #occupywallst
and only keith olbermann calls out the media blackout on #occupywallst
Sunday, September 25, 2011
environmental news stories sunday
swirling dust is our destiny. - nobody has a handle on arizona's dust storms, known as haboobs. scientists who study "aeolian transport" say more research is needed but two things are clear: we have contributed to the problem, and it is going to get worse - tucson daily star
phoenix area’s bad air tied to storms. - maricopa county violated federal dust-pollution standards a record number of times this year, but local officials hope to convince federal regulators that this year’s particularly dry monsoon weather and a series of summer dust storms are to blame - tucson sun
the murky environmental price tag of grocery sacks. - last week, a maker of reusable bags settled a lawsuit filed by a plastic-bag manufacturer over competing numerical claims on bags' impact on the environment. the lawsuit laid bare how much remains unknown about bags' environmental impact. - wall street journal
everest's ice is retreating as climate change grips the himalayas. - climate change is altering the face of the himalayas but research seeking to confirm this is yet to catch up with the mountain communities sounding the alarm - london observer
professors: global warming is real. - gov. rick perry wasn't anywhere near texas on saturday, but that didn't stop climate scientists and politicians from poking a bit of fun at his position on global warming during an event on the subject at the pearl brewery. - san antonio express news
supersize salmon are the reel deal. - huge salmon are being caught in scottish rivers this year, leading angling experts to claim the king of fish are growing bigger than they have for decades. jon gibb, an angling expert, believes the changing temperature of the north sea, caused by climate change, is at the root of the situation - edinburgh scotsman
eating ethically -- it's complicated. - you're trying your best to choose the most ethical, environmentally-friendly apples and chickens, but here are some more factors to consider before you decide to eat local - marketplace
italian scientists on trial over deadly earthquake. - the trial of seven italian scientists began this week. they're charged with manslaughter, for failing to adequately warn the residents of l'aquila, italy about the risk of an earthquake in 2009 - weekend edition
mark ruffalo to present gov. cuomo with alternative energy plan. - the actor who stars as the hulk in the upcoming movie “the avengers,” is playing an even bigger role in his fight for clean energy: finding solutions to replace carbon fuels such as gas and oil with renewable energies such as solar, wind and geothermal power - middletown times herald
governor says jersey shore water quality is perfect. - there’s a strip of coastline in the united states where the quality of the water is better than good, according to the governor. "the water quality in the ocean is perfect," gov. chris christie said. some environmental experts disagree - newark star ledger
biking to go green for the planet. - local groups say central north carolina needs to fight pollution, after a forbes magazine article named the triangle the number one gas guzzling metro area in the country. about 200 triangle carpoolers and bicyclists joined in moving planet day saturday, a worldwide effort, in durham's central park - nbc 17
jennifer granholm on the challenges for green jobs. - as governor of michigan from 2003 to 2011, jennifer granholm was involved in a grand experiment for greenville, michigan, to reinvent itself through green technology
stop the train. - sometimes bipartisanship cloaks something else, as when a republican and a democrat share sponsorship of a bill to cripple the epa. if there is any goal americans should share, it is to expedite the path toward cleaner air and water. Stop this train, because our children are tied to the tracks - fredericksburg free lance star
keystone pipeline lobbyist works all the angles with former colleagues. - in lobbying for a presidential permit to construct a massive oil pipeline stretching from canada to the gulf coast, transcanada’s paul elliott — who served as secretary of state hillary rodham clinton’s national deputy campaign manager in 2008 — has tried nearly every angle. - wapo
Labels: arizona, climate change, drought, earthquake, energy, environment, fracking, global warming, italy, michigan, new jersey, ocean, perry, salmon, science, texas
every day is like sunday
can someone upset rick perry's race to the top? yes we cain
here's the complete texts to chuck lorre vanity cards (the logos at the end of two and a half men & etc)
who wouldn't want to play the blackwater video game
Saturday, September 24, 2011
skippy's saturday night music club
Labels: music, skippy's music club, youtube
welcome to the new world of "employment"
the newspaper interviewed 20 people who worked in an amazon warehouse in the lehigh valley in pennsylvania. they described, and the newspaper verified, temperatures of more than 100 degrees fahrenheit, or 37 degrees celsius, in the warehouse, causing several employees to faint and fall ill and the company to maintain ambulances outside. Employees were hounded to “make rate,” meaning to pick or pack 120, 125, 150 pieces an hour, the rates rising with tenure. tenure, though, wasn’t long, because the work force was largely temps from an agency. permanent jobs were a mirage that seldom came. and so workers toiled even when injured to avoid being fired. a woman who left to have breast cancer surgery returned a week later to find that her job had been “terminated.” - nytimes referring to an article on mcall.com
Labels: amazon, employment, jobs, slavery
happy birthday jim hensen...where ever you are
Labels: birthday, cookies, sesame street
saturday in the park i think it was the fourth of july
is facebook the new myspace?
lobbyist dies; obit asks thatin lieu of flowers, people contribute to rick perry
beware of drunken mooses
Friday, September 23, 2011
skippy's friday night music club
Labels: music, skippy's music club, space, youtube
because school lunch kids are poor
some 40,000 pounds of frozen ground beef that was intended to be served for lunch at six school districts in georgia is being recalled because it may be contaminated with e. coli O157:H7, the u.s. department of agriculture's food safety and inspection service (fsis) said late friday.
in a news release issued at 9:49 p.m. eastern time, the fsis said palo duro meat, of amarillo, tx, processed the frozen beef on sept. 9 and shipped it two warehouses in georgia for further distribution to institutions, including the six school districts in georgia associated with the national school lunch program.
on sept. 22, the company reviewed lab test results for the ground beef that confirmed a positive result for e. coli o157:H7, but the frozen beef had already been "inadvertently shipped into commerce," perhaps "as a result of a sample tracking error," the fsis said. - food safety news
Labels: bachmann, beef, food, food recalls, food safety, meat, poverty, schools
friday night
a girl, 6 years old, digs up fossil, 160 million years old
e = mc
elizabeth warren is doing well in early polls against scott brown
and here's mad kane's ode to a new obama
Thursday, September 22, 2011
outlook for thursday
how rick perry put teachers' retirement money in his cronies' hands
also: crony wife capitalism
is sarah palin headed for divorce?
can eagles steal small children? no
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
say hello
elizabeth warren
"there is nobody in this country who got rich on his own. nobody.
you built a factory out there—good for you! but i want to be clear.
you moved your goods to market on the roads the rest of us paid for.
you hired workers the rest of us paid to educate."
this woman has some spinal fortitude...
Labels: class warfare, politicians, youtube
wednesday week
outsourcing america: not a good answer to economic problems
here's an update on occupy wall street protests
and rip tom wilson, creator of ziggy
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
nice teeth on that horse you're given us
Difficult Not to Notice
Don't get me wrong: there are NGO and Charitable organizations as well. Sooner or later, "Fran Drescher from Cancer, Shmancer" will speak from the audience. Not to mention leaders from Foundations the world over.
But this year has been different.Even if you ignore the Plenary, the speakers who are championing innovation and investment are from the Government (Thomas Hicks, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy is leading major investments in alternative energy projects), and Randi Weingarten, head of the American Federation of Teachers which, along with the AFL-CIO, have started investing in rebuilding American infrastructure.
Maybe there is no industry left in the USA. Or, at least, the Captains of Industry have Gone Scrooge, counting their monies instead of using them.
Labels: CGI, economics, energy, investments
tuesday heartbreak
sc gov nikki haley takes another vacation on the tax payers' dime
dueling steamboats on the colorado river
microsoft windows 8 introduces a kinder, gentler blue screen of death
Monday, September 19, 2011
Clinton Global Initiative 2011
If you're here, say hello. If you're not, look for posts and peruse the offerings for the conference. If there's something you're especially interested in, email me or mention it in comments.
I will be posting over at Angry Bear, though I may post some short pieces here.
Labels: CGI, clinton, development, economics
For the Ones Who Haven't Been Stars since Jeffrey Maier
Labels: baseball
arrrrgggggh!
Labels: flying spaghetti monster, pirates
Netflix Toasts Itself
However, it’s impossible to see how the split itself benefits customers. The price and plan changes that flustered many of them months ago remain in place, but the company now directs them to two web sites with two search indexes, two completely separate sets of recommendations, two entries on their credit card statements, and so forth.
When Erik Loomis (now known as the sane political blogger at LG&M) noted the issues with Netflix splitting the company way back in July, there were some objections from the Twitterati that his post didn't address any of the reasons Netflix had to make the change,* apparently ignoring that markets have to have both a buyer and a seller to function. As "Divorced One Like Bush" recently noted at Angry Bear, there are business strategies you can use, and there are business strategies that work against you.
But rarely does one see a company deliberately opt for a business strategy that works against them.**
*One of the more prominent of those is now staunchly defending the company's latest CF, but did have the decency to quote a respondent: "I admire the umbrage your taking on behalf of netflix and their ungrateful customers."
**Well, maybe not so rarely, but at least Tyco management made no secret that it was determined to enrich itself at the expense of the companies it acquired and is now spinning off.
tell me why i don't like mondays
take the political news iq quiz
the fixer @ alterx thinks it's only a matter of time
the u.s. has he 25th slowest internet speeds in the world
fbi investigating wisconsin gov. scott walker
Sunday, September 18, 2011
happy belated birthday
environmental news stories sunday
irene's warning: expect more storms. - thousands of homeowners are in dire straits after hurricane irene expended so much of its energy far inland. even if projections for climate change stay at the low end of estimates, some insurers and weather experts warn that homeowners and communities need to prepare for more such events in the years to come. - asbury park press
arctic ice hits near-record low, threatening wildlife. - ice on the arctic ocean has melted to its second-lowest level on record, according to researchers in colorado who track this trend. the summertime melt coincides with a dramatic warming over the past decade, and it's already affecting wildlife in the arctic ocean. - morning edition
carmakers turn to green energy for assembly plants. - wind turbines and solar panels are fast becoming familiar sights at car assembly plants as automakers slash carbon emissions not only of the models they produce, but along the whole production chain. - afp
republicans stop at green. - not even the profit motive seems to have fired an interest in green energy for most of the republicans vying for the party's nomination to take on barack obama in 2012 - sydney morning herald
solar-panel leases surge as no upfront costs make sun power "available to everyone." - more and more colorado homeowners looking for solar-energy systems are making the decision to lease rather than purchase. leasing has gone from zero at the start of 2010 to a dominant part of the market. the reason: leasing simplifies the process, and there is no upfront cost - denver post
texas town reports 100 days at 100 degrees. - thas experienced the worst drought in its history. the impact of the drought has been felt in expected and unexpected ways. from sweeping wildfires to water main breaks and livestock starvation, this year has been brutal. the whole state has been praying for the rain that never came. and one texas town of 107,000 has felt the unwavering intensity of 100 days at 100 degrees, according to LiveScience. i's the story of one quiet texas town and how they endured this epic drought. - treehugger
birth of the green movement. - forty years ago in vancouver, a small band of activists cooked up a scheme to protest nuclear weapons, and greenpeace began - canadian press
herbicide kills a suburb's trees and gardens. - a spate of dying trees and vegetable gardens across girraween, near blacktown, has sparked an investigation into the possible leaching of herbicides from the nearby plant of the chemical production company dupont australia - sydney morning herald
new sites best set away from busy roads. - b.c.'s environment ministry is calling for metro vancouver to consider setting new developments 150 metres back from busy roads, truck routes and freeways, to prevent increased health risks for everything from asthma to heart disease. - vancouver sun
what did floodwater leave in farmers' fields? - in laymen's terms, tropical storm irene moved heaven and earth. university of vermont laboratory analyst joel tilley is concerned primarily with the latter. dozens of plastic bags containing soil from the state's flooded farm fields arrive at his jeffords hall office these days for free testing - burlington free press
pcbs continue to affect mohawk health. - chemicals used at the general gm powertrain plant decades ago continue to exist in high levels among st. regis mohawk reservation youths today, according to research completed at the university at albany. - watertown daily times
memphis teacher ordered to dismantle urban garden - a memphis, tennessee math teacher, along with three students from his neighborhood, tend an urban garden, keep bees, make vermicompost, produce biofuel, and make soap with the byproducts of biofuel production. the teacher does this on his own time, on his own property, after spending all day teaching. this is the kind of teacher that wins awards, that students look back on years later as the one that made a difference.
but in memphis, tennessee, this teacher is a "public nuisance." and he's been ordered to dismantle his garden. - treehugger
Labels: canada, cars, climate change, drought, environment, gardens, gm, gop, hurricane, irene, pollution, right hypocrisy, solar, texas, toxins, vermont
sunday girl
how having kids rocked one conservative's political world
by the way, it's not illegal to pray at a football game
how much of the internet is actually for porn?
Saturday, September 17, 2011
occupy wall street
live video feed
Things I Learned This Week
Tyler Cowen (h/t Mark Thoma) suggests we should just lie back and enjoy Calling It Structural Unemployment, apparently because then you can declare Nothing Can Be Done about It.*
(He does note, at the end, that the Old Truth that NeoKeynesians are people who don't understand or like Keynes has a basis in fact. Betting he won't admit the other half—that NeoClassical:Classical::NeoKeynesian:Keynesian.)
*For the appropriate response to that—basically, we'll treat it as normal when things return to normal—see Brad DeLong
If you completely misread a bill about which you are pretending to be an expert—in this case, taking "this is what happens if you don't do something" as "this is what I want you to do"—someone on Twitter will call you a "genius." And people who should know better—Dave Weigel, Dan Dredzner—will retweet that claim.
Firms that administer Student Loans are buying software from people who built the original model to track default probabilities in Mortgage-Backed Securities. What could go wrong? (And if you wonder why, see Mike Konczal.)
Apparently, the answer is "no." (See comments thread)
Labels: just life
s - a - t - u - r - d - a - y -- night!!
wisc. gov. scott walker doesn't know if he should be worried about the fbi raid on his top staffer's office
memo to right-wing anti-epa job-killers: sick and dead people aren’t very productive
a list of alec politicians to be voted out of of office
Friday, September 16, 2011
skippy's friday night music
Labels: california, eagles, music, skippy's music club, youtube
matt taibbi's take
...in other words, "rogue traders" are treated like bad accidents and condemned everywhere from the front pages to ewan mcgregor films. but rogue companies are protected at every level of the regulatory structure and continually empowered by dergulatory legislation giving them access to our bank accounts.
there is a movement in the uk for a thing called “ringfencing” that would separate investment bankers from commercial bankers. some people think this ubs incident will aid that movement, even though ubs can apparently absorb the loss without necessitating a bailout or endangering client accounts.
The u.s. missed its own chance for ringfencing when a proposal for a full repeal of gramm-leach-bliley was routed during the dodd-frank negotiations.
that means we’re probably stuck here in the states with companies like bank of america, jp morgan chase and citigroup, giant commercial banks in charge of stewarding trillions in client bank accounts and consumer credit accounts who also behave like turbocharged gamblers via their investment banking arms.
sooner or later, this is going to blow up in our faces, and it won't be one lower-level guy with a $2 billion loss we'll be swallowing. it'll be the ceo of another rogue firm like lehman brothers, and it'll cost us trillions, not billions. - rolling stone
Labels: banksters, europe, fraud, gambling, liars, matt taibbi, rolling stone, scandals, wall street
dems are making it so hard
...one question emerging in the scandal is why so many elected officials stuck with durkee despite several red flags about her performance.
in fact, durkee remained one of california's top treasurers despite racking up more than $185,000 in fines for campaign finance violations over the last decade and being the subject of criminal investigations by the los angeles county district attorney's office in 2008 and 2009.
at the time of her arrest, durkee had control of more than 400 bank accounts, many of them campaign accounts.
some experts said durkee was able to survive for so long because she had so many prominent clients.
"politics in both parties is an old boys and old girls club, and most of the candidates ... figure if everyone else is using durkee, she must be all right," said dan schnur, director of the jesse m. unruh institute of politics at the university of southern california. "if you were the only campaign thinking about hiring a person with this record, you might think twice about it, but there's safety in numbers."
in lieu's case, an audit by the state franchise tax board found that $186,190 in credit card contributions to his unsuccessful 2010 race for attorney general had not been deposited in the campaign bank account, in some cases for well over a year. an additional $161,964 that was reported as having been transferred from lieu's assembly committee to his attorney general campaign in december 2008 was not deposited until two years later. - sac bee
Labels: california, democrats, durkee, fraud, liars, politics
thank god it's friday
how to deal with perverts
satan's attack on marriage
peeing in courtroom trash cans -- not advisable
Thursday, September 15, 2011
skippy's thursday night music club
Labels: cars, music, skippy's music club, youtube
my assemblymember das williams is electrifying...and so is his new car
there was no rumble of a gas-guzzling engine when santa barbara's das williams cruised silently out of graham chevrolet yesterday behind the wheel of a shiny new volt.
the volt gets 93 miles to the gallon when in electric mode, and 37 when using only gasoline. it can run purely on electricity for 25 to 50 miles depending on traffic.
it is one of about a dozen electric vehicles expected to be on the market by 2012. as gas prices rise, eclectic vehicles are also on the upswing. the volt costs about $40,000.
williams is the first local elected official to drive an electric vehicle, and members of the press where invited to snap photos of the politician smiling coolly behind his fresh, environmentally friendly ride. but despite the attention, williams said the event went beyond mere publicity stunt.
“it’s just an opportunity to highlight and encourage alternative technologies,” williams said. “i don’t have any illusions that me buying it will save the world any more than anybody else buying it.” - the daily sound
Labels: cars, chevy volt, das williams, environment, gm, made in america, progressives, santa barbara, transportation
note to companies: raising prices by 60% is not a good business model
suddenly a large american corporation is charging us for something it gave away for free for 4 years. and not just a little bit: it's charging us more than half more of what we were used to paying, on top of our regular subscription rates. it's rather as if, after years of buying a hamburger and fries for $8.95 at your local dinner, suddenly they tell you "hey, we're lowering the price of the burger by a dollar, but we're gonna have to start charging and extra 5 bucks for the fries. happy eating!"
so, how's that price increase working out for you, netflix?
two weeks after netflix subscribers had to begin dealing with higher-priced membership plans—$7.99 apiece per month for one-dvd-at-a-time mail service and unlimited streaming, rather than the old plan of $9.99 monthly for both services—the effects are already on display…
the new york times media decoder blog noted that soon after news broke this morning regarding netflix’s revised subscriber estimates, the company’s stock price dipped by almost 15% after the market opened.
today’s drop comes after another drop in earlier september, when the announcement was made that content from starz entertainment would no longer be available for streaming via netflix. at that point, netflix’s stock price took a 9% hit, falling within a few hours from to $233 to $211 per share.
we at skippy international dealt with the problem by simply cancelling the streaming service, and keeping our 3 dvds a month package, which actually now is cheaper (after netflix deducts the price of streaming). it's too bad tho, and especially too bad for roku, because we were considering buying a device to allow us to stream from our internet connection to our tv. now we have no need.
upon edit: bad link fixed. netflix business model still broken.
thursday afternoon
72% of americans disagree w/rick perry that social security is "a monstrous lie"
the tea party is the enemy
here's a rundown on the assault on voting rights
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
skippy's wednesday night music club
Labels: music, skippy' music club, tony bennett, youtube
when the gop tea baggers say uninsured americans should die
...as it turns out, paul was not speaking purely in hypotheticals. back in 2008, kent snyder — paul's former campaign chairman — died of complications from pneumonia. like the man in blitzer's example, the 49-year-old snyder...was relatively young and seemingly healthy when the illness struck. he was also uninsured. [the kansas city star quoted his sister at the time as saying that a "a pre-existing condition made the premiums too expensive."] when he died on june 26, 2008, two weeks after paul withdrew his first bid for the presidency, his hospital costs amounted to $400,000. - alternet
Labels: gop, healthcare, insurance, ron paul, sadists, tea baggers
wednesday girl
online atheists are more charitable than christians
rahm's chicago giving away millions of dollars to billionaires
get ready for ada lovelace day, this year oct. 7
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
skippy's tuesday night music club
Labels: music, skippy' music club, youtube
after listening to the gop "debate of hate" last night
former and hopefully soon to be again congressman alan grayson was right.
Labels: debates, gop, grayson, healthcare, tea baggers, youtube
next time you see a round up commercial
the scientific evidence piling up against roundup, the best-selling weed killer for home and farm use, is starting to sound a bit sci-fi. the latest damaging evidence against this potent herbicide, once widely believed to be safe, comes from the united states geological survey (usgs), which is now detecting glyphosate, the active ingredient in roundup, in streams, the air, and even rain. while the concentrations detected in rain and air are thousands of times less than what farmers dump onto field crops, emerging scientific evidence about what these chronic low-level exposures do to our bodies is cause for major concern, particularly among unborn babies and young children. - rodale
Labels: commercial, ecology, environment, food safety, poisoning, things that make you go hmmmm, youtube
tuesday's gone
doonesbury got censored
should unattractiveness be protected by the americans with disabilities act?
in memory of sept. 12
Monday, September 12, 2011
Notice Any Similarities...


Labels: gop, it is what it is, politics
new moon on monday
the texan-to-english dictionary: interpreting rick perry's foreign policy speech
koch lobbyist admits tea party is "designed" to elect republicans
gop 2012 strategy: an idiot and a prayer
and it's muppet dr. who!
Sunday, September 11, 2011
That Says It All...
The Clip I Would Have Posted to Honor the Day, Were It Available
Liz Lemon: Mark Foley's pajama party?
Jack: No. Kandahar.
Liz: Afghanistan?
Jack: Yeah. Took the corporate jet to hook up with my neo-con inamorata.
Liz Lemon: Well, I'm glad things are working out for you and your Mystery Lady.
Jack: Well, actually, they're not. I broke up with her.
Liz: Really? What happened?
Jack: Well, I finally realized that we're not compatible. I mean, I'm all for fantasy role-play, but Abu-Ghraib?
Liz (abruptly): Well, relationships end. People...move on.
30 Rock, Season One, Episode Eight ("The Break-Up"), about 18 minutes in, per Netflix Streaming.
environmental news stories sunday
in manhattan, children still battle 9/11-related illnesses. - the day the twin towers crumbled, more than 25,000 kids inhaled toxic substances. ten years later, many of them are suffering from health problems that still haven't gone away. - the atlantic
9/11 illness, memories haunt broward man. - howard rudolph struggles to breathe. he was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which may be a direct result of inhaling the toxic debris of burned fuel, glass, plastic, and metal during the month he spent in 2001 at ground zero as a mental health counselor to firefighters and police officers - miami herald
5 reasons the dust of 9/11 was a killer. - it coated the bodies of those running from the collapsing towers and infiltrated their lungs. as it burned their eyes and skin, the dust billowing from the world trade center attack also poisoned its victims - gatehouse news services
nyc 9/11 rescuers experience lingering health problems. - ten years after the terrorist attacks on the world trade center, medical researchers say many of these people are suffering higher-than-normal rates of serious disease and psychological problems - voice of america
congress hasn't done right thing for 9/11 responders. - any concerns about the effects of the dust and debris were alleviated. christine todd whitman, president bush’s director of the environmental protection agency, stood at ground zero a few days after the attacks and assured the workers and the country that there were no medical concerns to be worried about. how wrong she was. how wrong everybody was - sevierville mountain press
new docs detail how feds downplayed ground zero health risks. - in the dark days after sept. 11, 2001, the sight of thousands of new yorkers returning to their homes, offices and schools seemed to signal a larger return to normalcy. now new documents have emerged showing that federal officials went further than was previously known to downplay concerns about health risks - propublica
whistleblower petitions for expanded first-responder protection. - a former u.s. epa scientist and longtime agency whistleblower today filed a petition calling for strengthened federal corrosivity standards to protect first responders like those who were exposed to dangerous dust particles after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks - greenwire
wtc environmental health center works to help families affected by 9/11-related illnesses. thousands of families have been impacted by dust from the world trade center, but relatively few have enrolled in health programs that could help them - ny1tv
9/11 health crisis lingers: 1,500 first responders now living in florida blame dust, debris for illnesses. - where a gun and police gear once dangled from former nypd detective john pesce's belt, a utility bag filled with an emergency dose of epinephrine and an inhaler now hangs. since 9/11, pesce's lungs have never been the same, nor have his legs. - palm beach post
plea for help for 9/11 cancer victims. - politicians, firefighters and police chiefs gathered at ground zero ahead of the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks to call for an end to the "inhumane" rules under which rescue workers who worked amid the toxic rubble and who have developed cancer are ineligible for help with their medical bills - london guardian
political battle over 9/11 medical bills. - "never forget!" was the motto of the first responders who rushed to the burning world trade centre on 9/11, but 10 years on some say they have been abandoned by their country to fight cancer and mounting medical bills - afp
for 9/11 first responders, inadequate medical assistance is an insult to heroism. - since the dust settled a decade ago, thousands of first responders have been diagnosed with pulmonary, respiratory, skin and blood disorders, and cancer. many of the sick and dying have endured years of financial instability due to job and benefits losses. and for many, relief isn’t coming - newark star ledger
workers from ground zero face multitude of illnesses. - more than 30,000 police officers, firefighters and emergency medical technicians who toiled in the smoldering wreckage at ground zero suffer physical or mental health problems today, health officials say - bergen country record
Labels: 9/11, cancer, ground zero, healthcare, new york, police, union
9/11 the falling man
Labels: 9/11, documentary, new yawk, youtube
an amazing twitter feed




Labels: 9/11, journalists, new yawk, tweets, twitter
...And the Damage Done
While others abide, less noted.
New Yorkers, hug a fireman today—for the ones who died because "modernization" meant moving Disaster Operations from the safety of One Police Plaza to the 25th floor of the already-attacked-once 1 WTC, not making certain radio communications worked.
Then, if you can, go visit the Empty Chairs. If you're really brave, try to explain to your kids why the life of the secretary for the NYSSA—a kind woman who read Laurell Hamilton books and had a life outside of Series 7 and 63 and 24 and 8 and...—was worth so much less than a Cantor Fitzgerald salesman who was intermediating between two financial intermediaries in an already-overcrowded space.
Then try to explain why 11 Sep 2001 was an act of terror, but 11 Sep 1973 was a heroic effort that lead to The Chicago Boys (who presided over the only period when that country grew slower than the rest of the area) and the Chilean Pension System so beloved by Herman Cain, so hated by even its originator.
And, if I haven't offended enough people yet: those of you in DC and Boston who had friends and relatives at the Pentagon or friends and relatives on the flights, wonder why the Two Towers get all the attention.
Happy September 11th, and What It Hath Wrought.
Never forget.
sunday bloody sunday
maybe not terrorism, but josh marshall's wonderful site talking points memo was the victim of a denial of service attack on friday. anonymous, anyone?
9/11 from space
the widow of leroy homer, co-pilot on flight 93, has opened a foundation in her husband's name
pakistan reaches out to u.s. on 9/11
what's new?
and rip jfk-spiderman's uncle, as well as hollywood whistle-blower, actor cliff robertson
Saturday, September 10, 2011
investment in infrastructure
starting in 1995, the amortization and depreciation rate has exceeded utility construction expenditures. In other words, for the past 15 years, utilities have harvested more than they have planted. the result is an increasingly stressed grid. indeed, grid operators should be praised for keeping the lights on, while managing a system with diminished shock absorbers.
....he laissez-faire attitude of these bodies (wapa, ferc, etc.) in not truly regulating and engaging in furthering the public good needs to be addressed yesterday. our energy infrastructure got a d+ grade from the american society of civil engineers. hardly anything to cheer about.- not quite baja not quite alta daily kos diary
Labels: california, daily kos, energy, san diego
saturday night's alright for fighting
beyond irene: future hurricanes will get worse
occupy wall street sept. 17
fashion indusrtry's latest fetish: bruised up barbie
Friday, September 09, 2011
disagree with rep paul ryan....
a few weeks ago, several of ryan’s unemployed constituents staged a peaceful sit-in at his kenosha, wisconsin office to protest his unpopular decision not to hold any free public town halls during the august recess. these constituents didn’t think they should have to pay to ask their elected representative a question. instead of meeting with them, ryan’s staff called the police.
so it should come as no surprise that this week, three people who paid to see ryan speak were arrested and charged with trespassing for protesting the event. one constituent, a 71-year-old retired plumber from kenosha, wisconsin, was handcuffed and pushed to the ground by security: - think progress
Labels: gop, lawlessness, republicans, things that make me depressed
friday on my mind
no, it's not pink, but beer marketed to "chicks" is still pretty obnoxious
sen. jon kyle already threatening to quit super-committee
vancouver: 40 years and counting of gay rights
eewwwwwwww! billboard for new movie 'contagion' made enitrly out of bacteria
Thursday, September 08, 2011
skippy's thursday night music club
Labels: birthday, music, skippy' music club
say hello
split decision
any given thursday
rick perry is no libertarian
what if your higher power in a a can't even go to the park
happy birthday
Labels: birthday
Wednesday, September 07, 2011
wednesday morning, 3 am
if dominionists were in power, what happens to gay people?
5 reasons why ron paul should never be president
maybe soon we can keep our shoes on at the airport
Tuesday, September 06, 2011
skippy's tuesday night music club
Labels: music, skippy' music club, youtube
tuesday headache
social security has made us pussies
religious leaders say gop's 'ayn rand' budget goes against religious values
jc penny tells little girls they don't need to do homework
Monday, September 05, 2011
we are experiencing technical difficulties...please stand by
we are attempting to re-publish many of those earlier poats w/today's date. all such posts will be labled w/their original date.
hopefully, tomorrow's posts will show up. keep your fingers crossed.
we apologize for any incontinence.
update: the problem has been fixed, but we are too lazy to re-publish the moved posts back to their original dates, so now september begins on the 5th, which is a pretty good code to live by anyway in our opinion.
this is how science is done
governor rick perry runs for president
the largest of the fires is in bastrop county, southeast of austin, said lexi maxwell, a spokeswoman with the texas forest service. the blaze has so far scorched some 14,000 acres and is threatening about 1,000 homes, she said. - cnn
tweet of the day

Labels: texas, tweet of the day, tweets, twitter
get a job (happy labor day!)
who really creates jobs?
35 ways unions have improved your life
what is working?
i had some libertarian tell me that government "ruins everything it touches". i thought, "gee, that interstate highway you drove here on, were you dodging giant craters the whole way?"
i also thought, "gee, all those critters that were on the endangered species list that are now off that list, did one of them crap on your car?"
please help me out and give me other examples of government programs and projects that have worked well. i want to humiliate him the next time i see him.
environmental news stories sunday
a matter of risk: radiation, drinking water, and deception. - for the past year the khou 11 news i-team has been investigating the quality of the tap water in texas. what they found was surprising: many of the state's communities have a real problem with radioactive contamination in their local drinking water
how two accidental virginia activists have (almost) closed genon coal plant. - when elizabeth chimento and poul hertel began their inquiry into the chalky dust that seemed to cover everything in their north alexandria neighborhood, they had only three questions: what is it, where does it come from and what are the health effects? - wapo
the military's new campaign: cutting its energy costs. - the two previous presidential administrations have tasked the pentagon with a new mission: reduce energy use, seek cleaner alternatives, conserve water, curb wastes, construct energy-efficient buildings. in short: go green, soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines. and do so now. - hampton roads virginia pilot
hundreds arrested protesting keystone xl oil pipeline. - more than 200 people were arrested outside the white house saturday following two weeks of protests directed at president obama in an effort to persuade him to deny final permitting of a controversial 1,661-mile pipeline that would carry oil from alberta, canada, to port arthur, texas - christian science monitor
hope and change: meet the ex-obama staffers getting arrested in front of the white house. - each morning for the past two weeks, scores of respectable-looking protestors ushered themselves into single file lines, walked determinedly through washington’s lafayette park, sat down on the sidewalk in front of the white house, arranged themselves in rows as if for a class photo, and waited patiently to be arrested. - new republic
high amounts of arsenic found in region's wells. - a study by columbia university scientists estimates that 31 percent of private wells around greater augusta, maine have arsenic levels that exceed federal standards, some by more than 100 times. arsenic exposure has been linked to increased risk of skin, lung and bladder cancer; developmental problems in children; diabetes; and undesirable effects on the immune system - augusta kennebec journal
illinois beekeepers try to winter-proof bees. - the honeybee colonies at chicago's morton arboretum are part of an experimental effort to develop hardier stocks of locally bred queen honeybees that are better adapted to northern illinois environments and more adaptable to the parasites, viruses and climate that kills off millions of bees yearly - chicago tribune
the power of conservation. - not only has texas had record-breaking temperatures, the state also had record-breaking energy consumption, leading to expensive energy bills. - denton record chronicle
boulder county program gives energy-efficiency contractors summertime boost. - a boulder county program that pairs "energy advisers" with home and business owners interested in upgrading their buildings has been a major boon for area contractors who specialize in increasing energy efficiency - boulder daily camera
penelope: the pint-sized politico. - what's the best way to ensure environmental issues are at the top of the provincial-election agenda? hire an eight-year-old, camera-mugging spokesperson - toronto star
china is eating our solar lunch. - the solar-panel manufacturer solyndra went bankrupt this week despite having received a $535 million federal loan. an embarrassment for president obama? no, a testament to america's incoherent energy policy - gainesville sun
after quake, it's time to review nuclear plant safety. - the virginia earthquake and the japan temblor have prompted a needed examination of safety at all u.s. nuclear plants, but especially at peach bottom, which has a design similar to that of the fukushima reactors in japan - baltimore sun
perc remains in dry-cleaned clothes, - researchers, led by a high school student, have found that perchloroethylene, a dry cleaning solvent that has been linked to cancer and neurological damage, stays in fabrics and that levels increased with repeat cleanings, particularly in wool - wapo
michelle bachmann and the race to the bottom. - it would appear that michelle bachman has lost sight of the reason that president richard nixon authorized the formation of the epa in 1970 in the first place - mt. pleasant morning sun
and then there is the top #fail story this week...president obama pulls the rug out from under those of us who care about the environment....care about healthcare. he falls for the republican talking point that the epa is bad for business.
rocky mountain doctors, conservation groups blast Obama for pulling back tougher smog standards. - a salt lake city doctor on friday expressed “deep distress” at the obama administration’s decision to pull back new national epa smog standards, saying residents of rocky mountain cities like Denver and Salt Lake will suffer the respiratory repercussions - vail realvail
ozone decision: the final green straw? - for green groups, president barack obama’s retreat on ozone standards is another reason to question how aggressively they want to support his reelection in 2012. Even more bruising: the realization that they may not have much choice - politico
obama ozone decision blindsides enviros - and his own epa. - leaders of environmental and public health groups arrived at the white house friday morning for what was supposed to be a look-ahead at the fall energy and environment agenda. what they got instead was a rude awakening - politico
obama's smog #rail. - earlier this week, president obama announced that the epa would drop efforts to bring ozone limits in line with what science says is safe. ground ozone is the key ingredient in smog. - sf chronicle
stung by the president on air quality, environmentalists weigh their options. - for environmental groups, it was the final slap that brought a long-troubled relationship to the brink: on friday the obama administration announced without warning that it was walking away from stricter ozone pollution standards it had been promising for three years - nytimes
smog most dangerous pollutant for health. - health experts lamented a move by u.s. president barack obama to halt rules on limiting smog pollution, saying the decision could endanger many people already susceptible to respiratory problems - reuters
epa smog rule rejection stirs anger at white house. - asurprise decision from the white house today to reject tighter controls on smog emissions infuriated environmentalists and heartened business groups who had fought against the stronger pollution controls - boston globe
obama drops smog plan: is it all about the presidential election? - environmentalists say president obama is dropping a plan to set new air-quality standards with one eye on on the presidential election. The administration says it is waiting for more research. - christian science monitor
utah advocates for clean air scold obama for ozone retreat. - holding off on tougher anti-smog regulations to boost the flagging economy, as president barack obama did friday, doesn’t sell in salt lake city, where leaders see air pollution as a big barrier to new business - salt lake tribune
epa assault advances. - the republicans' contention that easing epa rules will create jobs seems to be gaining traction. that it is getting white house support now, too, leaves advocates for the protection of human lives and the environment wondering what's next. - memphis commercial appeal
in a cloud over ozone. - republicans are trying to sell the false premise that protecting the environment inevitably means sacrificing jobs. president obama should denounce this snake oil for what it is — rather than appear to accept it. we don’t have to choose between jobs and health. history demonstrates we can have both. - wapo
Labels: bachmann, bees, climate change, drought, ecology, energy, environment, epa, global warming, gop, healthcare, obama, ozone, poisoning, pollution, science, solar, toxins, water
tweet of the day
Labels: tweet of the day, tweets, twitter
it must be sunday
allan lichtman, who has predicted 7 put of 7 presidential elections, picks obama in2012
prankster group distributes fake gossip mags thru-out hollywood & manhattan
ky intense launches commercial featuring lesbian couple
nothing compares, nothing compares 2 sex
another saturday night
71% of republicans don't want sarah palin to run
if you're going to get rid of medicare, you're going to have to give people a way out
1 in 7 u.s. hospital infections ends in death
large hadron collider experiments eliminates more higgs hiding spots
friday night fever
michele bachman would consider drilling in the everglades
has rick perry woken up the left?
sexy geology
my little brony
thursday night blues
government spending is a disease
how do the afghanis hate us? let us count the ways
what, me worry? how about the al jaffe mad magazine fold-in collection?
and there's always animals being dicks