You Go, Claire!

Stopping by the house, in between errands, I wanted to take the time to post the video that goes along with something I meant to mention yesterday - Senator Claire McCaskill pummeling the executives who got big bonuses at the same time their companies were taking billions from the government. Enjoy. She's good!

For The Middle Class

The Obama Administration unveiled a new task force today to deal with issues impacting the middle class. On paper, it sounds like a good idea and Joe Biden seems a great choice to handle it.

Unlike Cheney’s energy task force, Biden’s middle-class task force will be transparent.

Since taking office, Vice President Joe Biden has taken several concrete steps to restore transparency to an office that was shrouded in secrecy by Dick Cheney. In the latest move, Biden’s new middle-class task force will provide the public with details of whom he meets with: Mr. Biden’s team is positioning the vice president to play [...]

Sanders=Fighter

I've thought a lot of Bernie Sanders ever since I first heard one of his weekly appearances with radio guy Thom Hartman. He's SENATOR Bernie Sanders now and he's one of the few true "independent" voices in Congress. He is "loaded for bear" over the economy.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) Proposes Investigation Into the Financial Crisis

In a letter to Senate leaders, Senator Bernie Sanders called for a major investigation into what caused the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. Sanders proposed expanding [...]

Simply Mind-Numbing

Looks like that $4.00/gallon gas last summer paid off. For somebody. Don't stories like this one just turn your stomach?

Exxon Mobil Reports Record $45.2 Billion Profit For 2008

Exxon Mobil Corp. on Friday reported a profit of $45.2 billion for 2008, breaking its own record for a U.S. company, even as its fourth-quarter earnings fell [...]

Let's Hear It For Friday!

Finally! Friday! I'm fed up. Sick and tired of this endless stream of negative news. So, let's join up with one of the folks I consider a real talent on TV - Willie Geist on Morning Joe. Really. He is. I know some of you are laughing right now. He's fits in and does a great job. Here's a sample that made me chuckle this morning.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Video of The Night

This is the best video clip of the evening!  From CNBC's morning program, watch as host Mark Haynes takes Rush Limbaugh to task over his "bi-partisan" economic proposal. I can't embed the clip, so you'll just have to CLICK HERE TO WATCH. Side note, come on CNBC - you're the only part of NBC that doesn't allow clips to be embedded!

An Angry President

Oh, my. Obama went off on the Wall Street honchos who took home huge bonuses after asking for a federal bailout! Gotta say this got my blood pressure rising, too...

Wall Street pays out more than $18 billion in year-end bonuses

Ugh: By almost any measure, 2008 was a complete disaster for Wall Street — except, that is, when the bonuses arrived. Despite crippling losses, multibillion-dollar bailouts and the passing of some of the most prominent names in the business, employees at financial companies in New York, the now-diminished world capital of capital, collected an estimated $18.4 billion [...]

And, here's how NBC Nightly News reported on the President's Wall Street reaction and the overall economic situation.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Rove On Obama's People

So, why is this a big deal. Why is it ANY concern of Rove's?

Rove Blasts Obama Use of Office Space

Karl Rove is upset with President Obama because he's managing the White House differently than his old boss."It is rumored that as many as 160 people will be in the West Wing under Mr. Obama. Under President George W. Bush there were [...]

Sad, Tragic Consequences

As the economy continues to tank, the impact continues to explode. America needs to get a handle on this. Soon.

The Financial Crisis Is Driving Hordes of Americans to Suicide

The body count is still rising. For months on end, marked by bankruptcies, foreclosures, evictions, and layoffs, the economic meltdown has taken a heavy toll on Americans. In response, a range of extreme acts including suicide, self-inflicted injury, murder, and arson have[...]

A Page From History

Here's one to take you back in time! Via thenxtweb.com and a bunch of other folks. 1981. San Francisco. A news story on a guy who owns his own computer AND (gasp) uses it to read the newspaper! Remember -- 1981.

Just Go For It

Okay, time to rally the forces and get on track with a solution to all that is wrong.

How To Survive Great Depression II

If you’re a failed banking executive who wants another trillion-dollar handout, all you have to do is look longingly at Congress and bat your eyelashes. For the rest of us, it’s time to batten down the hatches, tighten your belt and do some serious prioritizing. Here are two articles that have helpful financial advice. [...]

Still Waiting

We're at 34 degrees and holding. So the rain is liquid, not yet solid. And that means school schedules for tomorrow remain on hold.
But not one particular jet purchase! It's dead before arrival.

Citigroup to refuse delivery of new luxury jet after ‘pressure from White House.’

Yesterday, the New York Post revealed that Citigroup was finalizing the purchase of a brand new $50 million corporate jet, just months after receiving a $45 billion government bailout. Just a day later, however, ABC News reports that Citigroup is backing away from the deal after “pressure from the White House.” While ABC News reports [...]

The Honeymoon

The more I read, the more I believe Obama is seeing one of the shortest honeymoons on record.

Presidential Honeymoons - A Messy Process

Howard Fineman, the Washington-based political columnist writing for msnbc.com, contends the honeymoon between President Obama and Congress is over. Not so fast, Mr. Fineman, whom I consider one of the better political observers in the media. A political honeymoon is the brief period the president gets what he wants from Congress with almost no questions asked. [...]

Waiting On The Ice

Here we are, watching and waiting. Watching TV coverage of the ice pelting Arkansas, beginning just north of where we are. Waiting for what's promised and predicted for our evening and tomorrow. It's truly nasty up north, thousands without power. And the ice continues. Spring. I'm ready. Hurry up. In Washington, Obama's "honeymoon" seems to have been short-lived. To say the least.

Key Democrat trying to kill health care reform

His name is James Clyburn's (D-S.C.), he's a senior member of Speaker Pelosi's leadership, and he's trying to kill health care reform this year. Clyburn, for no apparent reason, went on TV (twice) in the past few days and said we likely won't be doing anything on health care reform this year - even though Obama has said otherwise, and it was a key promise in the campaign. You see, Clyburn says [...]

Out Of The Gate...

The numbers were good. But, will they continue? Much depends on how effectively the Obama Administration can push that stimulus package through Congress.

Obama's job approval: 68 percent

President Barack Obama started his first week in office with one of the highest starting job-approval ratings of any president in nearly 60 years - 68 percent approval in the Gallup Poll's tracking of his first full three days in office.Only John F. Kennedy started out stronger, in 1961, with a job-approval rating of [...]

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

From Bad To Worse

Well, this doesn't give me much hope for the stock markets come Monday. Hope you're having a nice Saturday. Read it. Then forget it. Until Monday.

World Economy Deteriorating Faster Than Expected

The world economy is deteriorating more quickly than leading economists predicted only weeks ago, with Britain yesterday becoming the latest nation to surprise analysts with the depth of its economic pain.Britain posted its worst quarterly contraction since [...]

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

Saturday Sniffles

65 degrees yesterday - 45 today. No wonder I have the sniffles! It's tough for the human body to handle those wild swings. I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed by all these "social networking" sites, trying to figure out which one most effectively feeds the other, without duplicating information. Once I get it sorted out, I'll pass along some additional links to where you can find me.  For now, consider the mess that was Inauguration Day in DC - information that may explain why the crowd estimates weren't quite as big as some predicted. Quite simply, a heck of a lot of people never got in:

More on the inaugural mess

It'd be nice to know who was responsible for logistics on the mall, and it would be equally nice to know that someone high up understands that this was a big screw up that needs to be addressed for next time. Letting people like Terry Gainer try to downplay how bad it was, and blame the screw up on [...]

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

Stimulus

What's ranking the highest in the stimulus ideas? Fixing what's crumbling.

Americans heart infrastructure

A couple of weeks ago, Gallup conducted a poll on public attitudes towards a stimulus package. The single most popular aspect of a possible rescue plan? Government spending on infrastructure, which enjoyed 78% support, and came out [...]

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

Stem Cell Reversal

Looks like the Bush Administration ban on federal funding for stem cell research is just a stroke of the pen away from being history. This offers new hope for so many people.

FDA Approves First Human Trials on Treatment From Stem Cell Research

It will be a while before we see practical results from embryonic stem cell research, and the likelihood of this will increase with the anticipated end of  George Bush’s ban on federal funding. The FDA has now approved the first human trials on a treatment developed from embryonic stem cell research. The Wall Street Journal [...]

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

The Web Is Never Wrong

Right? Oh, my! This is funny!

GOP Campaign Website: The Economy Is "Robust"

According to the National Republican Congressional Committee's Web site, the NRCC thinks the economy is "robust"..."Thanks to Republican economic policies, the U.S. economy is robust and job creation is strong," the site says.The accuracy of [...]

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

Secondary Impact

Oh, those Obama folks can be sneaky little devils.  Smart. But sneaky!

Clinton Lawyer: Obama's Order Designed To Pry Loose Key Bush Docs

Already, a consensus of experts has formed to tell TPMmuckraker and others that President Obama's executive order on presidential records, issued Wednesday, could impact efforts to pry loose key documents from the Bush White House. And the man who served [...]

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

The Obama Administration And Torture

The Obama Administration seems to have made things quite clear: torture is out. Plain and simple. Open and shut. Or are there outs?

WSJ Insists Obama Is Leaving Door Open For A ‘Jack Bauer Exception’ To His Torture Ban

Yesterday, President Obama signed an executive order banning the use of torture in all military and CIA interrogations of suspected terrorists. The order specifically revoked the legal memos written by the Bush administration to justify the use of torture on detainees. Today, the Wall Street Journal editorializes that Obama “wants to have it both ways [...]

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

Fear of Height

As I've grown older, my fear of height intensifies. Flying isn't a problem. I'm inside a big plane. Standing in the open, looking down from a precipice - that's something else. That's why I can't even fathom wanting to try something like this. via Left Coaster, this is wing-suit flying.

wingsuit base jumping from Ali on Vimeo.
Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

Inauguration Photo

Here's, hands-down, the best photo from the inauguration. And, it's not just a picture. It gives you the ability to maneuver around it. Enjoy.

If You Weren’t at the Inauguration. You Need to See This Photo.

Photographer David Bergman was fortunate enough to have been given a photographer’s press pass for the inauguration of President Obama.  With a Gigapan Imager and his Canon G10 in hand, Bergman shot 220 images and spent more than six hours using the Gigapan software putting them altogether on his Macbook Pro. The picture is above however the [...]

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

Born Again American

Norman Lear and Keith Carradine have gotten together to launch a fantastic new campaign for Americans, all based on the concept that we all need to become active, involved, Americans. Committed to achieving great things. If nothing else, watch the video. And keep a tissue handy. It speaks to the heart.

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

Finally Friday

It must have been the inauguration. Yeah. That's it. The inauguration. It threw me off my timetable this week. But, finally, Friday is here. My inaugural batch of homebrew Pale Ale goes in the refrigerator today and it's time to start the second batch, blonde ale.  And, I need to start digging into the textbooks for the three courses I'm taking online to finish my BLS degree from the University of Iowa. Yes, when I was offered the chance to move to a full-time radio/TV position, I took it. And dropped my final seven hours at UI. Not a smart move, I know. 30-some years later, I'm committed to wrapping things up, although the textbooks are a bit daunting!

I'm also committed to taking some breaks to pass along interesting bits and pieces from the blogosphere!

State Department staffers compare Rice to Wicked Witch of the West.

Reporting on Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s introductory speech at the State Department this morning, Harper’s Scott Horton notes that last week several career State Department staffers compared former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to the Wicked Witch of the West from the Wizard of Oz: "I met last week with a number of career State [...]

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

Desperation

Guess he's really desperate to attract an audience with his new Fox show. Even Drudge (so far) hasn't ventured into this territory.

Glenn Beck freaks out about the missing Bible at Obama’s do-over swearing in.

Today on his new Fox News show, Glenn Beck panicked about the re-do oath of office President Obama took last night, because Obama did not place his hand on a Bible. “I checked. We have never had a president sworn into office without a Bible,” he intoned dramatically. Watch it: Beck is simply wrong. As Slate [...]

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

Gitmo.

Gone. And the hits just keep on coming!

Obama Orders Detention Facility at Guantanamo Closed

Moving to make good on one of his key campaign pledges, President Obama this morning signed a series of executive orders to close the detention facility at the U.S. Navy base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The orders, signed at a West Wing ceremony, specify the closure should occur within 12 months. Obama is also ending [...]

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

Honeymoon. Officially. Over

The White House press made it clear today that they're not giving Robert Gibbs much of a honeymoon. He tried to dance around several questions, throwing talking points back at the reporters. They weren't having anything of it.
Earlier today, a much different welcome for Hillary Clinton:

A new day at the State Department: A Raucous Welcome for Hillary

(NOTE FROM JOHN: You have to watch this video. It's like the allies landing in occupied Europe. These are US diplomats. Not the most exuberant of people. One might even call them nerdy. Today, they're simply out of control. I'm half expecting [...]

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

It's Not Surprising

My, but this is getting depressing. A handful of bad economic reports have stocks in (another) nosedive. I really need to turn off the TV, quit watching the news channels, and read. Usually, as I skim through the blogosphere, I find something that raises my spirits a bit. Those posts seem to become more infrequent each and every day.

If there is one bright spot, it would seem the Obama Administration thinks a bit more highly of journalists, abiding by the Freedom of Information laws to start. It's a total turnaround from the previous administration:

MSNBC: NSA regularly spied on US journalists, media outlets

MSNBC's Keith Olbermann interviewed a former National Security Agency analyst tonight. The analyst says that, under the ruse of making sure that the NSA did NOT target American media and journalists, they actually collected information on every [...]

If you can't see the video clip on the link above, here it is:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

Today's Executive Orders

Many changes on the first full day. And some were biggies. Dig into this!

Could Obama's Executive Order Help Pry Loose Bush Records?

Over at TPM, Josh and David have been mulling the significance of the executive order, issued today by President Obama, concerning the Presidential Records Act. Could it apply retroactively to previous administrations, making it easier to pry loose records that [...]

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

Hitting From The Right

Short honeymoon for Obama, at least when you look at Fox News. Newly-hired Fox flak, Glenn Beck, came out swinging, before inauguration day was done.

Beck Outraged At Inauguration Benediction, Accuses Rev. Lowery Of Calling America ‘Racist’

Yesterday, civil rights leader Rev. Joseph Lowery delivered the benediction at President Obama’s inauguration. At the end of the prayer, Lowery offered a light-hearted approach to a hopeful future absent of racial bigotry: LOWERY: Lord, in the memory of all the saints who from their labors rest, and in the joy of a new beginning, [...]

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

Obama's Busy Day One

Well!  That didn't take long! The new Obama Administration went right to work today, dismantling a laundry list of things instituted during the Bush Administration and making some new moves on it's own.

Obama Freezes Salaries for Top Staffers

President Barack Obama's first public act in office Wednesday was to institute new limits on lobbyists in his White House and to freeze the salaries of high-paid aides, in a nod to the country's economic turmoil. Announcing the moves while attending a ceremony in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building to swear in his staff, Obama said [...]

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

America The Beautiful

Aretha Franklin's version at the inauguration was outstanding; enough to send shivers up and down my spine. However, I was reminded by the folks at Crooks and Liars that one Ray Charles could deliver a darn good version, too. Sit back, close your eyes, and enjoy.

Wouldn't it be great if the country, as a whole, could grow to appreciate such music, again?
Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

Stupid Is, As Stupid Does

If you wonder why Fox News has credibility problems from some corners, this pretty much explains it. You'd think even Fox anchors would have gotten the word that Barack Obama became president, legally, right at high noon, not when he took the oath. It's part of the constitution and every other anchor seemed to get the word. Except for....oh, heck.  Just click here are read it: Fox News: We're Unpresidented

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

Getting Right To Work

Forgot to mention yesterday, but Wall Street wasn't impressed by the inauguration. Biggest decline ever for inauguration day.  But, I'll give the Obama gang credit for getting right to work, while the bosses were watching a parade and hitting the party circuit!

Obama puts immediate halt to all Bush-era pending regulations

This is the kind of news I like to see. When we have a clear break from the Bush policies (including the economy, which is still debatable) we will all have good reason to fully be on board. Shutting down ongoing regulation reviews is a very good place to start. Regulation and oversight crumbled [...]

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

Best Seat In The House

Looks like being at home, watching the inauguration on TV, just might have been the best place to be.

Worst. Inauguration. Ever.

So, I don't even know how to write about this without it sounding like bitter grousing, and frankly, I'm a little embarrassed to have to report that after five hours of standing in the bitter cold, getting pushed and shoved to the point where you start to feel for your safety, and being herded to and fro, the most I can report about the inauguration is that the 21-gun salute is [...]

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

And So, It Begins

 Barack Obama is now the 44th President of the United States. As I write this, the parade has not yet begun. Still, some are looking ahead to 2012 and the GOP candidates. Can Palin REALLY be the front-runner?

Oddsmakers Like Palin, Romney for GOP in 2012

I’ll give more to Jindal than they do, but that’s just me: Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is the front-runner to win the Republican presidential nomination in 2012, according to online oddsmakers. Despite a slew of negative press this fall about Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) running mate, online gaming site Superbook.com puts Palin’s odds at 3.5-1, the best [...]

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

MLK Day

Today was Martin Luther King Day...tomorrow is the inauguration of Barack Obama.  We spent today doing some much-needed "de-cluttering" around the house and I managed to order the textbooks for my return to college. All in all, we'll call it productive.

Reports are floating around tonight of a rather interesting last-minute "oops" from the Obama/Biden campaign.

Biden's Office: No, He Was Not Offered Secretary of State!

Joe Biden's office just put out this statement, doing some quick messaging/damage-control on Jill Biden's declaration today on the Oprah Winfrey show about how Joe was offered either the Vice Presidency or Secretary of State: "Like anyone who followed the [...]

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

Inauguration Entertainment

I watched a little bit of the early part of Sunday's concert on the Washington Mall. It seemed speech-heavy and light on entertainment. But, doggone it, they ended with a bang! I think we just found America's new/old theme song! Via AmericaBlog, there is video on the link. Enjoy and sing along!

This land is your land. This land is my land. Again. Finally.

Bruce, Pete Seeger and Seeger's grandson sang one of the classics at the Lincoln Memorial today. Not to sound too corny, it feels like this land is our land again. Everyone sang along, including Obama. This concert felt and looked like [...]

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

Let The Parties Begin

After our frigid weather late last week, we're seeing a wonderfully sunny and warm Sunday. In Washington, the concerts and parties leading up to the inauguration have begun. The cable folks are wall-to-wall with coverage, the MSNBC anchors still warmly tucked away inside, in front of huge windows to the Washington Mall. CNN still seems dedicated to having their anchors and guests try to look warm in their outdoor set. How big a nerd am I? I'm torn between sticking with the inauguration coverage or watching the NFL playoffs.  Guess it's finally time to figure out how to make the picture-in-picture function on my TV work! While I work on that, take a moment to consider the newest numbers about the Obama Administration:

No pressure

It's not unusual for presidents to take office with a degree of public optimism, but Barack Obama will be sworn in with hopefulness that we haven't seen in a long while. To the added advantage of the incoming [...]

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

The Final Days

 Little-heard story coming out of the final days of the Bush Administration.

BushCo Drops All Charges against Andy Card’s Cousin

BushCo just dropped all charges against Andy Card's cousin, whom they accused of being a spy for Saddam and/or crazy. And with the dropped charges, they may have succeeded in suppressing very embarrassing information from [...]

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

History Lesson

Gather the kids around the 'puter screen or forward this to them all.  Olbermann put together a quite tasty summary of the Bush Administration. Tilted a bit, as you would expect from Countdown, but worth eight minutes of your time. It was, after all, eight years long. H/T Crooks and Liars:



Not to be outdone, here's David Letterman's Bush Speech Summary -

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

Saturday Sunshine

 We chased the nasty cold winds away and today turned out pretty darn decent - sunshine and 50-some degrees. A bit breezy, but I'm not gonna complain.  I can, however, complain about the Razorback basketball team.  After showing they had the talent and skill to defeat two of the top-rated teams in the country, they seem to have forgotten how to do it.  There were some good stretches in today's battle with Florida, but the good was outdistanced by the bad.  Sad.

Did watch a bit of the MSNBC and CNN coverage of the events leading up to Tuesday's inauguration. CNN has its anchors in some kind of semi-protected outdoor set.  Most were wearing gloves, but not everybody had on heavy coats. (UPDATE: Looks like it's getting colder. The coats have come out.) MSNBC, on the other hand, has a pretty snazzy indoor set that makes it look like they're outdoors.  And they're using football-style flying cameras for crowd shots, etc.  It's an impressive setup.  Now, if they were just doing it in High Definition......

The story today is the Obama/Biden train trip and MSNBC is using some new technology to cover it, tying together a half-dozen cell phones to let them go live from the train, while it's moving. It's not broadcast quality, there's a horrible lag when the anchor tosses to the talent, but it's neat to watch.  That being said, I do have to point out that the TV station I worked for in the early 1990's tried something very similar, using two cell phones to feed breaking video back to the station. Of course, you couldn't go "live" with that setup, but it did get tornado footage, etc back in an emergency. We stopped using it after a few months, when it became apparent that it just wasn't that effective. With higher-bandwidth cell technology, it's interesting to watch the concept get a second wind.

The crowds are certain turning out for Obama and Biden, and the President-Elect has been heaping praise on his VP -

Biden's Story Takes Center Stage

If it were not for the emotional threads of Barack Obama's personal story, it seems very likely that more attention would be paid to Joseph Biden's own deeply moving biography.The vice president-elect has largely kept to the shadows during and after [...]

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

The Digital Conversion

 Are you still confused by the whole "digital TV conversion" still set for February 17th?   There's a chance that date MAY be pushed back. Whenever it happens, do you understand what's going to happen? I stumbled upon an excellent post, beginning the explanation...

Television Changes, Part 1 - Whaa?

As everyone should know (but many don't), television is changing in a big way in February. The way of transmission between station and you, good enough for better than fifty years, is going away. In [...]

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

Cold Snap

 Apologies. Profuse apologies. My blogging seems to have slowed down as the temperatures drop. The weather folks are forecasting lows tonight in the low teens. That's strikingly cold for these parts. Gotta remember to disconnect the garden hoses and leave the kitchen faucet dripping tonight.

I'm struck every time I see the new Net Zero internet commercials on TV.  You'd think dial-up net access might be a dying breed, but they're pitching themselves as an affordable alternative to broadband, one that can save the casual internet user a couple of hundred bucks (or more) a year.  They probably have a point - unless you do a lot of file transfers or have several computers on a home network.  It's an interesting pitch, targeting those impacted the most by the ongoing economic crisis.

Speaking of the economic troubles...

China overtakes Germany to become third largest economy

Will the trend continue and China's growth will make it number one or is this the peak before the bubble bursts? I think there is trouble ahead but then again, everyone is in the same stormy economy right now. If China can [...]

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

Let's Talk UFOs

I've always been fascinated by all things alien.  There's an amazing bit of video on YouTube, taken last weekend in Austria.  I need one of my video-editing friends to tell me how this clip was "faked". Or, is it real?  Best stuff starts about 2:30 into the clip.

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

The Final Newser

 President Bush held his final confab with reporters today. I caught part of it on the TV machine.  It was, as this blogger suggests, quite interesting.

What a Tool

Bush held his final news conference this morning. I sadly missed it but will watch it online. Various websites are reporting the "highlights." Bush On Katrina: ‘Don’t Tell Me The Federal Response Was Slow’ Bush: It ‘may be fair’ to say that ‘Republicans don’t like immigrants.’ Asked about WMDs, Bush grins: 'Things didn't go according to plan.' Other notable comments: "Clearly putting a[...]

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

Amateur Hour

Here's what happens when you send a plumber into a war zone as a TV reporter.  Warning: IT AIN'T PURDY!

This Is Joe The Plumber Reporting From Israel

The highly anticipated debut installment of war correspondent Joe the Plumber has been filed and is ripping apart the fabric of the journalistic community. For someone who was ridiculed for not having the experience or skills to perform as a reporter, Joe showed his critics that he should not be underestimated with profound declarations like [...]

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

The 9/11 Theories Continue

 Some choice reading here, courtesy of Len Hart. He's one of the best at pulling together the 9/11 theories.

911 Commissioner Slips Up: Pentagon Struck by Missile

Tim Roemer has let the cat out of the bag, referring as did Donald Rumsfeld to a 'missile' that struck the Pentagon. In addition, there were the early news reports before 'officialdom' was able to insist that the media report ONLY the official conspiracy theory. Those early reports consisted of[...]

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

The Presidential Ride

 They've taken Presidential transportation up a notch with the new Obama ride. Seriously.  This is impressive.

Cadillac One

Here's a cut-away look at Obama's new ride. Complete with capsules of his own blood should he need a transfusion on the road, the new presidential limo is filled to the brim with state-of-the-art technology - including night vision and [...]

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

Talking Heads

 There are those brief moments when the television news channels deliver.  MSNBC's David Shuster is one of the small band of news folks who aren not afraid to ask the tough, even uncomfortable, questions. Take a look.

Wingnut John Ziegler pays Shuster a second visit from Planet Bizarro

John Ziegler, the wingnut "documentary filmmaker" who got that much-discussed interview with Sarah Palin, showed up for a second go-round yesterday afternoon with MSNBC's David Shuster after making a national ass of himself earlier in the day during Shuster's morning news show. In many respects, it was just a repeat of [...]

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

Double-Dose

 UGH! Trouble, I guess, comes in pairs. My wife's car was the first to act up, losing oil pressure yesterday whenever it's idling. So, I called a scheduled an appointment with the "car drs." for Monday morning. I took her to work in my car this morning, but noticed a recurrence of a clutch problem from last summer! I'll probably have to have it towed to the same shop that fixed it the first time.  Assuming it IS the same problem (and it sure acts just like it did back then), it should be covered under the shop's one-year warranty. I'm hoping.  In the meantime, I borrowed our daughter's car to cover the weekend errands.

The economic news continues to be dismal. Grim. Upsetting.

Krugman says Obama stimulus plan "falls well short of what’s needed", warns of another Great Depression

Paul Krugman is the second Nobel economist in two days (Stiglitz weighed in yesterday) to say that Obama's stimulus plan isn't big enough to help, by a long shot. It's difficult to overstate the urgency, and easy to sound histrionic. We are in trouble. More and more people, people we trust like Krugman, are throwing [...]

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

Is Palm Coming Back?

 I have two (or three, or four) of the old Palm handhelds tucked away in a drawer.  Most don't work anymore, or I've lost the chargers for them. They were good and dependable when they were new. But they soon became lost in the flood of smartphones and iPhones.  It appears that the brand may be back.  With a vengeance.

Tech: The Palm Pre Takes on Apple's iPhone

Once a tech industry heavyweight, Palm was nearly knocked out by its competitors. Can its latest smartphone help spur a comeback? [...]

engadget has much more:

Palm Pre in-depth impressions, video, and huge hands-on gallery

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

I'm Not Kidding

 Call your family! Go knock on the neighbors' door!  Wake the dog!

Billy Mays gets his own reality show

I was going to type this entire post in all caps, the way Billy Mays talks, but I thought that might be a little annoying. Everyone's favorite informercial pitch man is getting his own reality show on The Discovery Channel. It's called [...]

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

Sacrifice

 Have you seen Burger King's latest ad campaign? Quite creative, I'd say.

Whopper Sacrifice, Burger King's Facebook Promotion: Delete 10 Friends For Free Whopper

Burger King has created an application for Facebook that allows users to delete 10 friends in exchange for a free Whopper.Taking Klondike's "What would you do for a Klondike Bar?" motif to [...]

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

Ugly Numbers

 It's bad out there. And it's getting worse. Just watched Obama deliver his big economic speech.  Talk about a "downer". And the hits just keep on coming...

Friday jobs numbers might be ugly

Forecasts vary from a consensus of 475,000 losses in December up to 750,000 and possibly even 1,000,000. The losses from January through end of November have been just shy of 1,000,000 so the upward trend is [...]

I'm off to read my books on "creating optimism"..

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

Good Idea?

 I was really excited about this product - an iRobot gutter cleaner!  Until I realized I still have to get the darn thing into the second story gutters! Heights and I don't mix well. Still...

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

Memories

If you, like I, grew up watching American Bandstand in the 1960's, you'll love this - a Rate A Record segment!

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

Just The Facts

The numbers you need for the discussion and debate you're sure to face.

The Bush Years

NBC News compiles a devastating list of statistics to show what the United States looked like when George W. Bush entered office in January 2001 and [...]

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

Heads Up!!

 A couple of "heads up" notes for you today.  First of all, if you are in my gmail contact list, you likely got a Facebook invite from me last night.  Don't know where I told it to do that, but feel free to respond or ignore, as the spirit moves you.  Didn't mean to offend anybody, that's for sure.

Now, a literal "heads up"...pics from a tiny airport where big planes have to fly just 10 to 20 feet/meters above the heads of folks on a beach! Not photoshopped, either.

Fly-by Beach

Juliana Airport, in the Antilles, has one of the shortest airstrips in the world and, in order to land, planes have to descend down to 10-20 meters above the heads of relaxing tourists on Maho beach. The landing strip is just over 2,000 meters-long, barely enough for large jets to complete their landings. At the moment [...]

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

Yawn.

 It's been a slow newsday or two. Honestly, I've been busy this week, working on a way to finish my college degree (yeah, I got busy working and stopped school a handful of hours short of a degree. Trying to figure it all out with the University of Iowa right now), and trying to pack up Christmas. You know the drill!  Then, I see that a CNN guy is headed for the Obama Administration!

Obama picks Sanjay Gupta as top doc

President-elect Barack Obama has reportedly decided on Dr. Sanjay Gupta, the neurosurgeon who serves as CNN's chief medical correspondent, for his surgeon general, according to [...]

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

Broadway Cries

 If you have any doubts as to the deepness of our economic troubles, consider this:

Theater: A Month of Broadway Closings

More than a dozen plays and musicals — almost half of the current lineup — will close by the end of the [...]

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

The Kawasaki Question

 If you've talked with anyone today, it's likely the death of John Travolta's 16-year-old son has come up in the course of the conversation. Early news reports certainly raise more questions than they answer. A reader at "The Daily Dish" offers some good information:

Kawasaki Syndrome

A reader writes: "I am a pediatric emergency room physician. We occasionally diagnose Kawasaki Disease (now properly called Kawasaki Syndrome) in young children. There are so many things wrong with the story of Jett's death that I am not sure [...]

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

Drawing To A Close...

A fond look back on the George W. Bush presidency.

Bushisms Over The Years

President George W. Bush will leave behind a legacy of Bushisms, the label stamped on the commander in chief's original speaking style. Some of the president's more notable malaprops and mangled statements: "I know the human being and fish can [...]

More analysis of an administration:

AP examines Bush's legacy through the lens of his personality

This is a very painful piece to read. It's all about your president's personality. Shortened version: Bush doesn't like people to be late, he mangles words, he cries a lot and he likes to exercise. But, the conclusion is classic: [...]

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

Calculators?

 Check! It's a breakthrough! Any guesses on the outcome?

Breaking: Franken And Coleman Actually Agree To Count Ballots!

In a major breakthrough in Minnesota, the Coleman and Franken campaigns have resolved that about 900 wrongly-rejected absentee ballots will be counted this weekend, out of nearly 1,350 that the county election officials had initially sorted out. This is a [...]

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

The Holiday Season

The holiday season is almost over.  It's been enjoyable, with time spent with family, friends, and good great food! However, all it takes is a quick glance at CNN or MSNBC and you'll realize that there's a harsh reality of recession out there.  The American auto industry is at the core of the problem (along with the housing industry). How's one of the Big Three reacting? Who's the brain trust responsible for THIS idea?

What's wrong with the U.S. car industry in a nutshell

Before settling in for a day of cartoons yesterday, we caught some of CNBC's program Saving GM, which focused on the development of a new version of the old Chevrolet standby, the Camaro, for 2010...And it struck me how this portrayal of the money and effort that GM was spending to try to revive an old brand name from an era radically different from today was the essence of [...]

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

Bowl Day

 It's all football today! And that is a good thing.  Between games, the laptop comes into play.  I hate it when I find things that kick my blood pressure into the red zone, though.

Merrill Lynch Exec Uses TARP Funds To Buy $37 Million Apartment

Your tax dollars at work: Former Merrill Lynch executive pays 37 million for NYC apartment (with taxpayer money). He worked there 3 months, received $25 million bonus from TARP funds, quit, [...]

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile

Day One

 It's officially here - January 1, 2009.  Best conversation of the morning on CNN? Weather guy says something like "It's 2009, but I'll still be writing 2008 on checks until March." Anchor lady looks shocked and says "You still write CHECKS?" A sign of the times, I guess. 
Here's a little New Year's gift for you, simple but beautiful. One camera, one spot, one year outdoors in 40 seconds.

Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/dougkrile