Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Laughing At Glenn Beck

Well, if Glenn Beck is honestly this emotional, I have some words to eat. As does the gang on Morning Joe. Still, this is some darn entertaining early morning TV. Enjoy. And, again, my apologies for the lack of posts lately. Had some irons in the fire. And that is a good thing!

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

Don't forget to check out my Arkansas posts at The Examiner

Friday, March 27, 2009

How'd She Get Elected?

And Glenn Beck is falling right in line, helping her tout this crazy "one currency world" bull crap. I like a good conspiracy theory as much as the next guy, but this is ridiculous.

Touting Her Currency Conspiracy, Bachmann Insists: ‘This Is Not Michele Bachmann Being A Kook’

Earlier this week, right-wing fanatic Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) started peddling false conspiracy theories that the world was moving toward a unified global currency — and that the U.S. might join in as early as next week’s G-20 conference. The myth was started when China’s central bank governor suggested replacing the dollar as the world’s [...]

Don't forget to check out my Arkansas posts at The Examiner

Fill-Up Time

MILFORD, CT - JUNE 10: Jamie Nagron delivers ...

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Looks like it's time to join the line at the gas station. And here I was, thinking we were due for another nice drop in gas prices again.

Report: When Economy Picks Up, A New Energy Shock is Likely

Come on, you didn't really think this cheap gas lull was going to last, did you? Better tune up those bicycles!
"Sharp reductions in investments and low oil prices could curb future supplies by almost eight million barrels a day within the next five years, according to [...]

Don't forget to check out my Arkansas posts at The Examiner

Twitter Makes Friday Funny

Thanks to my good buddy, Brant, at Station X, you get a priceless Friday Funny today. If you Twitter, don't take offense!

Don't forget to check out my Arkansas posts at The Examiner

Thursday, March 26, 2009

West Memphis Three Continue The Fight

Still maintaining their collective innocence, with Damien Echols leading the charge with DNA evidence and a most interesting affidavit from one of the attorneys.

The West Memphis Three - The Fight Continues

The lengthy legal fight is heating up as supporters work to prove the alleged innocence of the three teenagers accused of killing three young boys in West Memphis 15 years ago. Supporters of Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley have long maintained they were all arrested on trumped-up evidence and [...]

Don't forget to check out my Arkansas posts at The Examiner

Commercial Break

I know I've been MIA around here. Busy week, plus Twitter seems to occupy more and more of my time. To make up for it, here's a spectacular local TV commercial. Seriously. It's one of the most surprising/best I've seen.

EMBED-Hot Woman Deals with Home Invasion - Watch more free videos
Don't forget to check out my Arkansas posts at The Examiner

Saturday, March 21, 2009

More Bailout Chatter

Hey, the weekend is here! And all the weather guessers blew it, predicting a great weekend. What did we wake up to this morning? Chilly, dreary weather with a bit of rain. As I write this (mid-afternoon) the sun is trying to break through. Perhaps there is hope, yet.

Most all of the talk this weekend is centered on the economy and the bailout plans. That's not going to change anytime soon!

Plan for "Toxic Assets" Coming Next Week

The Obama administration "is expected to unveil early next week its long-delayed plan to buy as much as $1 trillion in troubled mortgages and related assets from financial institutions," the New York Times reports. The plan "is likely to [...]

Don't forget to check out my Arkansas posts at The Examiner

Friday, March 20, 2009

Great Start to the Weekend

Don't ya' just love it when your hometown gets some good publicity?

Kind words for Little Rock

It's always nice to wake up to the first morning of spring, with the sun shining brightly, and the temperatures warming to more seasonal levels. But it's made even nicer when a complimentary article about our [...]

Don't forget to check out my Arkansas posts at The Examiner

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Awful Management

This, I'm sayin', is just wrong. Self-preservation at its worst.

Top bank officials at Citigroup and Morgan Stanley meeting to figure out ways to skirt compensation limits

Wonder what is taking up the time of top officials at banks rescued with your tax dollars? You'd like to think they're all hunkered down trying to solve the crisis they created with help from George Bush and the GOP. According to Reuters, avoiding the salary caps is [...]

Don't forget to check out my Arkansas posts at The Examiner

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Madoff's Money

Ah, the hits just keep on coming! Madoff's in deeper and deeper.

Madoff Worth Over $823 Million

We knew Bernie Madoff was living large. But maybe not this large. The Associated Press reports: "Newly filed court documents show Bernard Madoff and his wife had a net worth of more than $823 million at the end of last [...]

Don't forget to check out my Arkansas posts at The Examiner

Legalized Drugs?

Portugal? Portugal is forging new ground in the "war on drugs"? In a most unusual way:

Greenwald: Decriminalizing Drugs Works

Working with the Cato Institute, Glenn Greenwald went to Portugal to study the results of that country's decriminalization of drugs. In April, he will present his findings. At Salon, he offers a brief summary: "Evaluating the policy strictly from an empirical perspective, decriminalization has been an unquestionable success, leading to [...]

Don't forget to check out my Arkansas posts at The Examiner

It's Sunday

I've been sadly lacking in getting posts online here, spending more time watching Twitter and Facebook conversations and working on some real projects - you know, the kind that pay! Still, in watching the Sunday talkers today, there were a couple of important stories. I'll defer to the fine folks at Think Progress for both of them.

Cheney’s Excuse For Economic Failures Under His Watch: ‘Stuff Happens’

During an interview with Dick Cheney this morning, CNN host John King asked the former vice president why “we should listen to you” for economic advice. To make his case, King noted the following statistical changes that occurred under the Bush/Cheney administration: Unemployment rate: Rose from 4.2 percent to 7.6 percent Poverty: Jumped from 32.9 million individuals [...]

Bailed-out AIG doles out $165 million in bonuses.

Insurance giant American International Group, which has received $170 billion in funds from the government to stay afloat, will award about $165 million in employee bonuses. The U.S. government has an 80 percent ownership stake in the company. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner had urged AIG’s chief Edward Liddy to renegotiate the payments, but Liddy said [...]

Don't forget to check out my Arkansas posts at The Examiner

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

The Legal System At Work

Doesn't it look like the defense attorneys just might be looking out for their own best interests? Day-Umm!

Prosecutors In Casey Anthony Case Want To Know How Her Attorney's Are Being Paid

It's no secret that Casey Anthony is not a rich women, so prosecutors in her upcoming murder trial want to know how she can afford to pay eight high priced/profile lawyers when she (Casey) is broke for all practical purposes. While it might be interesting to find out how Casey Anthony has managed to hire a legal team that would make Bill Gates jealous - with no income or real property to pay for such a defense, more than likely the [...]

Don't forget to check out my Arkansas posts at The Examiner

Tent Cities

Quite amazing. And a heartwrenching example of just how bad it's getting to be.

Tent Cities: Welcome to the new Bushvilles

MSNBC has been reporting on the huge tent city forming outside Sacramento, including a remarkable photo essay on the encampment. Similarly, a Daily Mail piece offers more detail: Mikkel Fishman at The Moderate Voice has more details on the economic and political background. As Chris Jansing reports, this isn't [...]

Don't forget to check out my Arkansas posts at The Examiner

Aw, Come On, Scarborough!

Just when I think it's (maybe) safe to go back to watching "Morning Joe" for more than the closing segment, Joe has to go and play "Mr. Pompous" today. Does Mika get a word in? Or was she sitting out this segment, in protest?

Don't forget to check out my Arkansas posts at The Examiner

Guns. Arkansas. Again

Time to bring on some national attention, again, to our fair state.

Just keep that gun holstered

It seems every day brings another story about how to deal with guns in Arkansas. A bill making it okay to carry a gun to church was shot down in a Senate committee last week, although there's been talk that its sponsor [...]

Don't forget to check out my Arkansas posts at The Examiner

Good News

Finally, a few hints at optimism in the economy and job situation. The stock market was up, big-time, yesterday and is holding (so far) today. I know it's likely just a short-lived bump, but it's still a bit of hope. And today, there is a bit of good news on the Arkansas job outlook.

Ark. Business: LR Region Strong for Hiring

Good economic news continues to come Arkansas’s way. Arkansas Business reports, “The employment outlook for the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway area is ranked among the top 10 in the nation in the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey that was released Tuesday. Area employers expect to hire at a healthy pace during the second quarter of [...]

Don't forget to check out my Arkansas posts at The Examiner

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Stimulus $$$$$

It's really just a regular spending bill, but supporters say it will likely help boost the local economy of communities across the country. Opponents say it's full of pork. All I'll say is that it's full of dollars.:

Congress Approves Massive Domestic Spending Bill

Congress is sending President Barack Obama a massive bill funding domestic programs and awarding lawmakers their cherished pet projects after more than a week of partisan debate. Senators passed the measure by voice vote after voting 62-35 to shut down debate. The White House says [...]

Monday, March 09, 2009

Have Things Slowed Down?

The news is a busy as ever, although it's pretty much economy, economy and economy. And not much is good. So, I've taken to writing more at the Examiner website and posting to Twitter. Keep track of me there, if things seem slow around here!

Decline in Organized Religion

It’s probably no coincidence–besides the decline in influence of the Republican Party the influence of organized religion has fallen in the country. The information in the linked article is from [...]

Examiner, Twitter, Religion

Saturday, March 07, 2009

Our Dramatic Job Loss

How bad is it? Pretty darn bad. If you look at the chart in the link below, it appears we're in a nosedive toward goodness knows where.

What losing 4.4 million jobs over 14 months looks like.

In February, employers cut 651,000 jobs , and the national unemployment rate soared to 8.1 percent — the worst since December 1983. The Gavel provides a graph comparing recent job losses to the 1990-1991 and 2001 recessions, showing just how dire the economic situation is today: By comparison, we lost a total of 1.6 million jobs [...]

Food For Thought

Actually, it's food for the stomach. Good stuff from an early-season Farmers' Market.

Tomatoes, tuna and shrimp

Fresh from the market - "Doug Krile" What a pleasant surprise on this warm Arkansas Saturday! Looks at what I came home with; the fish I had ordered AND the first homegrown tomatoes of the season! Sure, they were grown in a [...]

Farmers' Market, Tuna, Shrimp, Tomatoes

Thursday, March 05, 2009

Sunday Drinking

We've been able to get a beer or a glass of wine in a restaurant, on Sundays, here in Arkansas for quite a while. Now, we're inching closer to being able to pick up a bottle of wine or liquor at our corner liquor store on Sunday. Is this progress?

Sunday liquor sales in Arkansas

Photo courtesy: Amy Jacobs Arkansas is one of those states still holding onto some of the old "Blue Laws" banning certain things on Sundays. The state started allowing retail stores to open on Sunday years ago, but as recently as the [...]

Blue Laws, Sunday Liquor Sales

Careful With That Acronym

Whether you like Keith Olbermann, or not, you'll have to admit the #1 "Best Person In The World" tonight is a classic. Maybe because it's from my old home state of Iowa, but I thought it was a very cute story. Watch it. The whole thing will only take a minute or so. You will, at least, chuckle a bit!

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

Say So Long

Not to me! But to my good friends at Shaka Smoke Lodge in the River Market. I'm trying really hard to figure out how to avoid duplicates between here and Twitter and Facebook. If you get doubled up, let me know and I'll try to sort through it. In the meantime, know that Shaka was one of the originals at the market.

A River Market original is going, going, gone

It is, I guess, just another sign of the tough economic times; although the official word from the owners is that they're just getting burned out and need to call it quits. We visited Shaka Smoke Lodge [...]

SHaka, Barbecue

America's "Thelma and Louise" Moment

It happened today at the end of the President's Health Care forum and it got a chuckle, despite the seriousness of what Obama was trying to say.

Obama jokes that health care reform can’t follow the path of Thelma and Louise ‘over the cliff.’

At today’s White House health care summit, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) observed, “We’re past the Harry and Louise moment,” referring to the the 1990s anti-health reform ad campaign. “We’re at the Thelma and Louise moment. We’re in the car heading for the cliff.” (Watch it.) At the conclusion of the summit today, President Obama quoted [...]

Health Care, Barack Obama, Thelma and Louise

They Predicted The Future

Really! This is impressive. AT&T TV commercials from 1993, talking about the future. Do the math: that's 16 years ago. Watch and see how doggone close they were to what we have available today!

Stewart Goes Off On Santelli

I know the stock market is tanking. Again. I have reading, writing, and arithmetic to focus on today, plus a conference call. Still, we need a break. Just the best Jon Stewart EVER from last night's show - Stewart goes after a MIA Rick Santelli. I can't get the embed version to work, so you'll have to follow the link:

Stewart Vs. Santelli - Click Here

Wednesday, March 04, 2009

It's Not Rush's Fault

Of course not. All the blame belongs on the White House. Yup. You betcha.

The Official GOP Talking Points On Limbaugh

It took them awhile, but the GOP has come up with their official talking point on Rush Limbaugh. Here's John Boehner, from an article that went up on Politico at 4:46 (EST):"It's a huge distraction created by the White House" to avoid talking about [...]

Limbaugh

Lessons NOT Learned

I've just about had it with this stuff. Not that I can do anything about it, beyond complain.

Top 10 at Merrill made $209 million last year

Not bad considering the Merrill Lynch lost almost $28 billion. When the GOP and the Wall Street apologists attack the Obama plan to move the country beyond the failed policies of the past, this is who they are supporting. It's the American oligarchs and their political muscle who [...]

Merrill Lynch, Banking Crisis

How Madoff Did It

Simply fascinating look into how Bernie Madoff pulled off one of the biggest financial rip-offs ever:

Madoff's Universe Exposed: A Peek Into Bernie's World

Among Bernard Madoff's many dupes were his closest friends, including two tycoons he loved as surrogate fathers: the late Norman F. Levy--whose girlfriend, supermodel Carmen Dell'Orefice, would lose her life savings--and the prominent philanthropist Carl J. Shapiro. Amid the sobs, screams, and curses in [...]

Madoff

Tuesday, March 03, 2009

Here Comes The Credit

Maybe. Unless it comes with strings attached like those from the credit cards we have. Skyrocketing interest rates, late fees, and over-limit fees. I'm headed back to cash.

Fed Launches Program to Stimulate Consumer Credit

The Federal Reserve rolled out program today geared towards ”boosting the availability of credit to consumers and small businesses.” The Fed will lend up to $200 billion to spur consumer lending — for autos, education, credit cards and other things. The bold program, dubbed the Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility, was first announced late last year and [...]

Credit, Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility

Digging Into Your Pockets

Ever write a bad check? Sure you have. Most people probably have done it, once or twice. If your bank didn't cover it, and charge you 20 bucks or more, you probably found yourself paying a collection agency even more to make it right. But, it was likely nothing like this:

D.A.s Around the Country Are Taking A Cut From Collection Agencies - at Your Expense

"They make you feel like a criminal. They try scare tactics, harassment and everything. And you take a look and ask, 'Seriously, is the attorney general of Florida after me for a $14 bounced check?' " - Michael O'Neil, who wrote two bad checks while living in Florida. Amazing story. Basically, these District Attorney offices are renting out their name to deceptive bill collectors for bounced checks under $100. Think about it: [...]

Collection Agencies

Shortest. Honeymoon. Ever.

If you didn't think Obama's presidential honeymoon was over, this ought to convince you. Newsweek is coming down hard on some of the new policies.

Obama Taxes Could Alienate the Heartland

Obama's proposed coal and tobacco taxes would disproportionately impact some key states—ones that the Democrats will need in [...]

Coal, Tobacco

My handiness has diminished with age.

I've stripped and stained furniture, assembled a LOT of bookshelves and tables from kits and changed out a bunch of electric outlets and switches. I've fixed broken washing machines, too. I leave much of that to more professional folks now.

Monday, March 02, 2009

And WHY would we do this?

The idea of guns is churches just doesn't sit right with me.

Guns in church

The Arkansas legislature, meeting in Little Rock, has been tap-dancing around the idea of allowing worshipers to bring guns into church. Let's just pause for a moment and let that idea sink in.Have you figured out the reason behind that idea? The [..]

Church, Guns

Sunday, March 01, 2009

Putting Karl Rove on the Defensive

I didn't bounce around the Sunday talk shows as much as I usually do, so I missed this little exchange on ABC. It's one of the better highlights that I've seen, so far! And, yes, there IS a video clip on the link below.

Vanden Huevel rips Rove: ‘It’s laughable for you to talk about fiscal responsibility.’

Today on ABC’s This Week, Karl Rove slammed the cost of President Obama’s new budget. The Nation’s Katrina Vanden Heuvel quickly fired back at Rove’s newly-discovered sense of fiscal responsibility, observing that Rove and President Bush “helped plunge this nation into trillion dollars of debt”: VANDEN HEUEVEL: But, Mr. Rove – ROVE: Call me Karl. VANDEN HEUVEL: [...]

Karl Rove, Katrina Vanden Huevel

El Rusho, Front and Center

He's just a talk show host, for goodness sakes! Still, Limbaugh has a huge following and is doing his best to stay high-profile in the GOP. If the old adage "all PR is good PR" is true, Limbaugh got lots of it this morning.

Rahm On Rush: He's The Voice, Energy And Intellect Of The GOP

Not missing any opportunity to make Rush Limbaugh the figurehead of the GOP, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel called the brash talk show host the "voice and the intellectual force and energy behind the Republican Party" on Sunday. Appearing on CBS's Face The Nation, Emanuel brought up Limbaugh without [...]

Rush Limbaugh, Republican Party, Rahm Emanuel

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Friday, March 27, 2009

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Friday, March 20, 2009

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Time to bring on some national attention, again, to our fair state.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Congress is sending President Barack Obama a massive bill funding domestic programs and awarding lawmakers their cherished pet projects after more than a week of partisan debate. Senators passed the measure by voice vote after voting 62-35 to shut down debate. The White House says [...]

Monday, March 09, 2009

Saturday, March 07, 2009

Thursday, March 05, 2009

Wednesday, March 04, 2009

Tuesday, March 03, 2009

Monday, March 02, 2009

Sunday, March 01, 2009

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