Monday, September 19, 2011

Chelsea Crowell - I'm Gonna Freeze

Just found this through Rosanne Cash on Twitter. It's her daughter Chelsea, sounding good. Check it out.


Saturday, July 30, 2011

Florida Citizens for Science � Blog Archive � Professor says he was dismissed for teaching evolution

Florida Citizens for Science � Blog Archive � Professor says he was dismissed for teaching evolution:

"Dr. Coffman recalled a time when the Dean of Academics told all of the pharmacy students during a bible study meeting that it never rained on Earth before Noah’s flood. Instead, water came up out of the ground like sprinklers."

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Express Scripts to Buy Medco for $29.1 Billion - Bloomberg

Express Scripts to Buy Medco for $29.1 Billion - Bloomberg

GOP Rep. Womack Admits His Ignorance

Closed Door GOP Meeting Stresses Economic “Meltdown” Default Would Likely Cause | Rise of the Center:

"The warnings appeared to have softened the views of at least some House members who, until now, were inclined to dismiss statements by administration officials, business leaders and outside economists that the economic impact would be dire if the federal government were suddenly unable to pay its bills.

Freshman Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.) said the presentation about skyrocketing interest rates that could result from downgraded bond ratings was “sobering.”

“It illustrates to us that doing nothing is unacceptable,” he said. “I think the conference understands this is a defining moment for us. It’s time to put the next election aside.”

"

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Daily Kos: Evil genius or cop out? The McConnell�capitulation

Daily Kos: Evil genius or cop out? The McConnell�capitulation: "That Dem source who is quaking at McConnell's 'genius' is part of that insider Beltway crowd that thinks that voters give a rat's ass about the deficit.

So Republicans would get three votes to 'disapprove' of Obama's debt-ceiling raising actions. Oh noes! Is that like a sternly worded letter?

Look, the Democratic stimulus package of 2009 was the largest tax cut in American history, and Republicans still accused Democrats of raising taxes in 2010. That's what Republicans do.

So the Dems could slash the deficit down to zero this year, and Republicans would STILL run around accusing them of spending too much. It's what they do. They've only got a few tricks in their bag (abortion! taxes! deficit! gay people!).

So McConnell's plan gives Republicans the ability to bash Democrats for spending, which they would do anyway, and this is a big victory for them? Genius? Hardly. This is a capitulation.

Just watching teabagger heads explode will be worth the price of admission."

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Patent Bill Shows Wall Street Has Clout in Washington - NYTimes.com

Patent Bill Shows Wall Street Has Clout in Washington - NYTimes.com: "Other companies, including high-tech firms like VeriFone and Square, the mobile phone payment start-up, could be affected by the law, putting their patents in jeopardy. Cantor Fitzgerald, known for its computer-based bond brokerage, has a number of valuable patents that could similarly fall under the legislation."

Saturday, July 09, 2011

Gore Vidal � Gore Vidal on Ayn Rand in 1961: ‘She Has a Great Attraction for Simple People’

Gore Vidal � Gore Vidal on Ayn Rand in 1961: ‘She Has a Great Attraction for Simple People’: "The mindset of Rand's followers has channged over the decades. “She has a great attraction for simple people” Vidal said then, “who are puzzled by organized society, who object to paying taxes, who dislike the ‘welfare’ state, who feel guilt at the thought of the suffering of others but who would like to harden their hearts. For them, she has an enticing prescription: altruism is the root of all evil, self-interest is the only good, and if you’re dumb or incompetent that’s your lookout.”"

Friday, June 03, 2011

Blue Mass Group | AP publishes brutal fact-check on Romney’s announcement speech

Blue Mass Group | AP publishes brutal fact-check on Romney’s announcement speech: "FACT CHECK: Romney miscasts economy in GOP debut

In rhetorical excesses marking his entry in the presidential campaign, Mitt Romney said the economy worsened under President Barack Obama, when it actually improved, and criticized the president for issuing apologies to the world that were never made….

ROMNEY: “When he took office, the economy was in recession. He made it worse. And he made it last longer.”

THE FACTS: … Obama did not, as Romney alleged, make the economy worse than it was when he took office.

ROMNEY: “A few months into office, he traveled around the globe to apologize for America.”

THE FACTS: Obama has not apologized for America…. [T]here has been no formal – or informal – apology. No saying “sorry” on behalf of America."

Thursday, June 02, 2011

Sarah Palin Tries on American History for Size: It Doesn’t Fit | JOE McGINNISS

Sarah Palin Tries on American History for Size: It Doesn’t Fit | JOE McGINNISS: "In Sarah’s version, Revere was

“He who warned, uh, the…the British that they weren’t gonna be takin’ away our arms, uh, by ringin’ those bells and um by makin’ sure that as he’s ridin’ his horse through town to send those warnin’ shots and bells that uh we were gonna be secure and we were gonna be free…and we were gonna be armed.”"

Wednesday, June 01, 2011

News Hounds: Glenn Beck, The Holy Land and the Better Business Bureau

News Hounds: Glenn Beck, The Holy Land and the Better Business Bureau: "More importantly MMfA discovered:

The Better Business Bureau website gives LDS Travel a rating of 'C-' on 'a scale from A to F.'

Meridian Trips LLC is also listed on the Better Business Bureau website with the same Draper, Utah address, with 'Brian Mickelsen' listed as the owner. That page lists its rating as 'F' on 'a scale from A to F.'

While Beck has yet to comment on Humanitarian Travel, it’s clear Beck was for the Better Business Bureau before he was against it.

Goldline,"

Auction Fees | Consigning Property To Auction Part IV

Auction Fees | Consigning Property To Auction Part IV: "Seller’s Commission is Negotiable

The seller’s fee is called a commission, and this can differ seller to seller, anywhere from 0% to 25% of the hammer price of an object. Why such a broad range in fees? Unlike buyers, sellers are not competing against each other, and simply put, great stuff drives the auction business. Bidders want to buy great objects, so auction houses want to sell great objects. And as a seller, if you possess the rare and beautiful, you’re in the driver’s seat. You can negotiate a lower commission than a seller with average goods, and even no commission at all if your item is exceedingly rare."

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Death Derivatives Emerge From Pension Risks of Living Too Long - Bloomberg

Death Derivatives Emerge From Pension Risks of Living Too Long - Bloomberg: "

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS), Deutsche Bank AG (DBK) and JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM), which bundled and sold billions of dollars of mortgage loans, now want to help investors bet on people’s deaths.

Pension funds sitting on more than $23 trillion of assets are buying insurance against the risk their members live longer than expected. Banks are looking to earn fees from packaging that risk into bonds and other securities to sell to investors. The hard part: Finding buyers willing to take the other side of bets that may take 20 years or more to play out.

"

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Next Up, a Crackdown on Outside-Expert Firms - NYTimes.com

Next Up, a Crackdown on Outside-Expert Firms - NYTimes.com

Lizzie O'Leary: What I Read - Business - The Atlantic Wire

Lizzie O'Leary: What I Read - Business - The Atlantic Wire:

"The oil spill was actually the first time I came to understand the power of Twitter and started using it personally to get reporting tips. You'd see something pop up about oil coming ashore on Grand Terre or Grand Isle and you could get over there. Otherwise you'd be calling the sheriff's department, who might not have wanted to tell you where the oil was. When I started covering the oil spill I didn't know anything about petroleum engineering, and a hydraulic engineer started following me and an oil engineer from Texas started sending me information. They turned into real sources and helped me read through the data that I got my hands on."

Monday, April 11, 2011

Will Stone’s poem in French translation on Belgian radio � blog.saltpublishing.com

Will Stone’s poem in French translation on Belgian radio � blog.saltpublishing.com

: "A recording of poet and translator reading the poem was made to be broadcast on the accompanying radio programme. This recording can be accessed at the link below:

http://www.demandezleprogramme.be/Ecoutez-Will-Stone-lire-le-poeme?rtr=y"

The poem is first read in English.

Tuesday, March 08, 2011

Rick Scott: Florida's Drug Fraud Enabler? | Mother Jones

Rick Scott: Florida's Drug Fraud Enabler? | Mother Jones

In 1997, Rick Scott was implicated in the biggest Medicare fraud case in US history, stepping down as CEO of Columbia/HCA after the hospital giant was fined $1.7 billion and found guilty of swindling the government. As Florida's new governor, Scott is now trying to kill off an anti-fraud database that would track the fraudulent distribution of addictive prescription drugs in Florida, over the protestations of law enforcement officials, Republican state lawmakers, and federal drug policy officials.

Monday, February 21, 2011

AuctionZip Auction News: THE ESTATE OF THE LATE FLOSSIE STALLWORTH OF QUITMAN, MISS., WILL BE SOLD AT AUCTION ON SATURDAY, MARCH 5, BY STEVENS AUCTION COMPANY

AuctionZip Auction News: THE ESTATE OF THE LATE FLOSSIE STALLWORTH OF QUITMAN, MISS., WILL BE SOLD AT AUCTION ON SATURDAY, MARCH 5, BY STEVENS AUCTION COMPANY:

"When Flossie Stallworth was born, William Howard Taft was the President and the average life expectancy of a woman was just over 50 years. Flossie beat that expectation by nearly double. She was a proud and determined woman, widely respected for her grace, consideration and love of life and family. She also loved antiques, buying only the very best.

When Mrs. Stallworth's mother and sister passed before her, their collections (also thoughtfully accumulated and meticulously maintained) became part of her collection. In true Flossie style, at the spry age of 99, she organized her antiques with great deliberation and set plans in motion for the sale of her fine collections following her passing. That time is now."

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Economic Advisors Shun Chamber Derivatives “Study” and Firm that Did Study | U. S. Chamberwatch

Economic Advisors Shun Chamber Derivatives “Study” and Firm that Did Study | U. S. Chamberwatch:

"While we wait for the U.S. Chamber to answer questions regarding its involvement in the Chamber Gate scandal, the Chamber has also been getting disapproval from Nobel-winning economists for a derivatives study it funded with the Business Roundtable and other corporate interest groups."

Friday, February 04, 2011

Wednesday, February 02, 2011

A Guide: How Not To Say Stupid Stuff About Egypt | Sarthanapalos

A Guide: How Not To Say Stupid Stuff About Egypt | Sarthanapalos:

"“I am so impressed at how articulate Egyptians are.” Does this sound familiar? Imagine saying this about a Latino or African American? You don’t say it. So don’t say it about Egyptians. Gee, thank you oh great person who is of limited experience and human contact for recognizing that out of 80 million people some could be articulate, educated and speak many languages. Not cool. Don’t say it. You may think it, but it makes you sound like a dumb ass."

Friday, January 21, 2011

Blackwater Founder Is Said to Back African Mercenaries - NYTimes.com

Blackwater Founder Is Said to Back African Mercenaries - NYTimes.com:

"With its barely functional government and a fierce hostility to foreign armies since the hasty American withdrawal from Mogadishu in the early 1990s, Somalia is a country where Western militaries have long feared to tread. This has created an opportunity for private security companies like Saracen to fill the security vacuum created by years of civil war."