At least it makes us all appreciate the past experiences of our lives more to see and here it all over again.
Just click Music Nirvana - The Best Music hourly To see Micheal JAckson's music reclimb the charts.
Now you can find your favorite science fiction by the decade
8:00 pm PST June 21 2009
Have you ever wanted to find science fiction stories from certain decades? now it's easy with our exclusive Science Fiction By the Decade index.
Just click Science Fiction By the Decade and you can find the great old stories from the masters from the 20's, 30's, 40's, 50's, 60's and more or find modern works. You can even find your old favorite stories from childhood.
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Now you can see if you can detect earthquake precursors in Southern California
7:00 pm PST April 06 2009
With the revealation that an Italian Seismologist predicted the recent Italian earthquake, the interest in possible indicators of earthquakes before they happen has peaked.
Southern Californians can watch many possible geophysical precursors for earthquakes at www.electricquakes.org and see if they see a correlation between those sensors and quakes in southern California or around the world.
The site includes variations in earth's rotation (Length of Day charts), magnetic readings from Fresno, tidal forces, ionization charts and solar wind bursts hitting the planet alongside current earthquake maps.
Designed to put hard to find, dispersed, real time scientific readings in front of regular people, electricquakes offers those with an interest an easy way to follow earth changes and research possible correlations with earthquakes.
More info on Earthquake Prediction
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International Date commission moves April 1st forward 6 hrs
6:00 pm PST March 31 2009
In an astounding first, The International Date Commission has decided to move April 1st forward 6 hrs.
(sorry but someone had to go for the earliest April fool's of the year. You have just been RICK FOOLED by the first April Fools Joke of 2009 and perhaps the only early April's fool joke within a joke in history.)
and by popular request (disabled becuase april fools is over!)
Much Funnier April Fools Stuff
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Suddenly a whole new type of aircraft has been born.
4:30 pm PST Oct 20 2008
The coolest thing I have seen since the Rutan X-Prize liftoff. Imagine the skies and parks full of these.
Air Art from flip on Vimeo.
The "Money Honey" Maria Bartelomo is getting upset. "What is this crap" overheard between takes.
5:00 pm PST Sept 29 2008
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CNBC's MARIA BARTIROMO "Closing Bell" Anchor has been uttering some interesting comments between takes that have been caught by open mics all day. Earlier right after the close of the NYSE today their ticker showed the market down about 550 points as the people hammered down the gavel. It was significant because at that moment it DID NOT appear that the DOW had exceeeded it's previous maximum loss of over 600 points in a day. In fact CNBC instantly and briefly ran a ticker line saying it was the worst since another period of time rather than a ticker saying the worst point drop in history. However about two or three minutes later the ticker was showing a loss of 777 points which DID exceed the DOW's greatest previous one day point loss. Maria about that time could clearly be heard saying "what is this crap?" on a mic after she assumed they had gone to commercial. Later in the day at around 4:40pm after another round table discussion they cut away to commercial and she could clearly be heard saying with some frustration "why are you getting rid of the one person who (garbled).." and the host of Kudlow & Company Said "Maria we're done." It's been clear all morning that some of the hosts are getting "expressive" and some are breaking the mold of always trying to sell the Wall St. line. As they do some of the other talking heads have been variously snickering and or laughing outright and perhaps there is a little tension brewing between them.
Falcon rocket finally makes it into orbit burning the perfect fuel- mortgage backed securities. They go down fastest and, in dramatic proof of equal and opposite reactions, the rocket finally makes it up to orbit .
1:10 pm PST Sept 29 2008
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The Falcon 1 rocket from SpaceX corporation finally made it into orbit today on the companies fourth try. The company spokesperson exclaimed" We made the connection between the speed of the falling exhaust and the speed of the rocket rising, and it was like a light bulb went on. Our engineers identified the fuel they thought could go down fastest out of the back of the rocket and it was clear that Mortgage Backed Securities paper was our fuel of choice. Even better -the price was right. We can pick up mortgage backed paper for virtually nothing these days while rocket fuel is rare everywhere except in the drinking water supply of the USA (and the EPA won't let us take it out). So we stuffed those mortgage backed securities into the rocket and lit that candle!"
The proof was in the results - the rocket did not explode although the mortgage backed securities exploded with great power. Indeed one key to the success was the securities fell so quickly out of the back of the rocket their destructive power was fully contained by the nozzle. Witnesses exclaimed they had never seen paper burn with such virulence. In keeping with classic physics the tremendous rate at which the mortgage backed securities fell out of the back of the rocket and detonated into nothingness pushed the rocket right up into space at tremendous speed.
(the above story is satire the following story is not satire unfortunately)
Pelosi claims democrats provided their portion of agreed votes and Republicans didn't - blames Repubs for failed bill.
12:01 am PST Sept 29 2008
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Still concerned about Main St. Claims message was not received by republican caucus to strengthen country.
Republican Bohner blames Pelosi for partisan speech - claims it tanked bill.
11:42 am PST Sept 29 2008
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Republicans run to mics to blame Democrats for failure of bill. Democratics can't win if they keep letting Republicans drive the spin. Either they vote FOR the bailout and risk ruin at the voting booth in a month for their vote against it and get blamed for Bush's Depression meltdown (which will continue even if the bill does or doesn't pass) or they vote against it and get blaimed for the Republican's depression.
What's the Democrat's only REAL option?
Put forth a bill IMMEDIATELY which keeps homeowners in their homes at reduced government subsidized mortgages payments saving the mortgage market from more foreclosure defaults which are more costly to everyone while supporting non homeowners downpayment access to the now cheaper housing market to soften falling house prices and be fair to those who were wise and DIDN'T buy at the housing bubble top.
If the Democrats did this NOW the Republicans would either have to pass it or go on record against rescuing Main St rather than Wall St.
Bush would have to veto it if it passed and it once again would be clear that bush really isn't trying to help those in the country but rather attempting a huge transfer of bad debt from Wall St to the federal government.
If no bill passes before the election the status quo of political immpression stays which is "This is the Republicans fault". However if the congress stays out of session doing nothing can also be blamed on Democrat House leadership
Bailout Bill FAILS the House VOTE! 205 Yea 228 Nay *2nd Update House will NOT try again!*
11:17 am PST Sept 29 2008
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On a call for a recorded vote the bill seems to have FAILED.
Democrats yea 140 nay 95
Republican 65 yea 133 nay
Totals: 205 Yea 228 Nay 1 Not voted
Time remaining 0:00 vote now closed and final
Perhaps this was a result of listening to so many floor speeches which basically said "This bill sucks but it is the only one we can vote on before adjoining for the holidays".
That's pretty literally what most speeches in favor of the bill said.
Reconsideration of the bill apparently not probable. Financial news networks talking heads in turmoil as Main St refuses to listen to their sales jobs and continues to pound their congress people to "Just Say No".
Dow down as much as 705 earlier today . -442 at post time (this number will not be updated here).
Update! 11:23 am PST House leadership apparently indicating they will try again today to pass this bill.
Update! 11:25 am PST House leadership staff now saying there will NOT be another vote on this today.
NY Mice hail hero on trial for killing sadistic cat
8:30 am PST Sept 29 2008
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(Satire)
Heroic waiter/actor Joseph Petcka barely escaped conviction after killing the sadistic mouse torturing cat of his ex girlfreind, and NY Mice are taking to the street vocally in his defense. Mick the Mouse squeaked loudly for the cameras "That cat mercilessly clawed swatted and played 'Cat and mouse' with my cousin last year and then left him to die on the neighbor's stoop. Petcka is a hero and should be credited with saving the lives of hundreds and perhaps thousands of defenseless mice that would have died in the next few years. No one should pity this serial mouse killing cat. Are the lives of mice any less than the lives of other animals? WE SAY NO!" Later some mice lamented that the success of the TV show Dexter about a serial killer may have desensitized people to the serial killer nature of cats.
Later the growing crowds gathering in front of Petcka's apartment building cheered wildly as PETM (People for the Ethical Treatment of Mice) showed up naked waving only signs and their asses. Actresses in PETM chanted "We show our glands as we take stands for defenders of Innocent Mice." Spokeswoman and aspiring model/actress Tiffany Bountiful stated "Petcka and others who care about mice are often persecuted in this country. WHEN WILL the country stop the hypocrisy of valueing one furry critter more than another? Will it take a strike by mice everywhere and piles of crumbs so big they stop traffic before mice are recognized as the valuable members of society that they are? We are here today so THAT costly social strike can be avoided."
The pro Petcka celebration was only slightly dampened when one mouse was arrested after it was noticed that he carried a small camera as he scurried under the skirtless PETM members taking video. Skeptics stated "Clearly that mouse was a plant by the police to discredit the protest. No mice claimed to have ever seen the arrested mouse before and it was beleived he was given suspiciously good cheese while in detention before being inexplicably bailed out by police officers. The video was seized and is being reviewed extensively in the precinct for it's evidentury value. Other police sceptics complained that, since the passage of bills allowing ads to be run on the Police precint website, it is likely the video will appear in full there very shortly and the whole arrest was a money making ploy combined with an attempt to discredit those defending mice everywhere. Legal scholars noted that since none of the PETM members were actually wearing skirts during the protest the videographer mouse could not be charged for taking upskirt videos.
(Not Satire unfortunately)
The world flips as Democrats support Bush's bill and Republicans stand for Main St
8:25 am PST Sept 29 2008
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Could this be the big switcheroo I predicted last week that actually causes the democrats to lose the House and Senate? Will Main St be so outraged at whoever voted for this bill that they vote for the other guy?
Are Democrats too focused on having successfully painted a Pig as a Turkey over the weekend that they forget both are undesireable?
will Republicans run ads for the next 30 days saying the incumbent Democrats passed the give away bill to Wall St. and take back the House and Senate in the biggest bait and switch game ever attempted?
Democrat Davis Scott on CNBC this morning said outright this bill did not do what FDR did which was force writedowns of the mortgages and keep people in their homes to prevent foreclosure whihc prevents the major losses that cost everyone more. As he said the government loses more money if the houses are foreclosed on so why doesn't the bill address that? Furthermore there is no guareentee in the bill that the government must get payback if the loans it buys turn out to be losing more money than is expected. There is only a "suggestion" to Paulson.
Yet he will still vote for the Bill. The big question is WHY?
Meanwhile the REPUBLICAN Scott Garrett stands there and says this bill is basically the same bill as the one 5 days ago and that he won't vote for it. He states outright that callers to both Democratic and Republican are 10 to 1 AGIANST this bill.
So as I predicted last week this bill is becoming the DEMOCRAT bailout of Wall St Fat Cats even though it is Republican Bush's bill. It may very well be the "KArl Rove'in" move that loses the Democratic party both the House and Senate.
Amazing.
Watch Republicans Push Democrats closest to Bush in the White House photo
11:53 am PST Sept 25 2008
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Ever watch those nature shows where the little mouse is just about to walk in front of the viper's fangs?
Don't Go ! Don't go!
In case you haven't heard the democrats and republicans have been invited to party at the White House! Its a big celebration to show just how TOGETHER BUSH and the DEMOCRATS (and the shhhh... republicans ...) are on this HUGE 1 TRILLION dollar FAILURE.
Anyone care to lay wagers on who will be closest to Bush in all the photos which will be used in every campaign ad for the next month?
I'm guessing it will Be DEMOCRAT NAncy Pelosi, Democrat Harry Reid and DEMOCRAT Barney Frank and DEMOCRAT Christopher Dodd.
Hell, if you didn't follow politics you might almost think Bush was a DEMOCRAT and this was all THIER DOING!
Let me ask you... would you offer to stand next to the world's worst _________ (fill in the blank yourself) for one last smiling picture ?
P.S. don't be surprised if Bush happens to slip in a comment or two during the photoop about how we all got in this together but that he wishes Democrats hadn't puffed the bill with extra pork barrel spending.
The leading economists say don't do it. DON'T DO IT. IT is a SETUP. The single biggest defining thing between the republican and democrats meaning MCCain and Obama right now is the voter's feeling that the Republicans like Bush and McCain are more responsible for the financial meltdown than the Democrats. If the Democrats climb in this Bush Bailout boat with the Republican's it might just make enough voters think they are all alike that the Democrats lose.
*update 12:22 pm PST
(it's ironic that several REPUBLICAN congressmen are visibly and vocally standing against the bill - literally right now Republican Mike Pence on MSNBC says House Republican leadership has signed on to NO deal - that's NO DEAL.
So now Bush and Democrats are going to the White House for Bush's bailout while REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMEN are standing back - UN BE LIEVABLE.
Literally the MSNBC newshead just asked republican Mike Pence" Senator do you beleive there are enough votes to block what Sen Dodd and Barney Frank just announced" . So now it's official - bush's bailout is now being promoted by MSNBC and the newsheads as the Democrats bill. *update 01:09 pm PST Oh no! Straight from the white house - there they are in the first video images released - Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid sitting right next to Bush with no Republicans in the frame!
Bush's Bailout about to be called Democrat wasteful spending
11:09 am PST Sept 25 2008
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It's almost laughable it's so ridiculous, but already on the news channels you can see the beginnings of mentions of Pelosi in connection with another bill she expects to "talk the president into signing" presumably as part of Bush's big bailout so his freinds can retain control of the failed financial firms. Now let's see
1. we already had John McCain come back to Washington where he hasn't been since April in EMERGENCY MODE to "put together a plan" but NOT SO EMERGENCY that he couldn't take time to stop and Talk With Katie Couric on CBS television. Now he is claiming his walking through the door made it all happen except the horrid compromise was finished according to both democrats and republicans.
2. We had republican spinners losing their notes which said that Republican congressmen should stand in opposition to the bill so Bush's Bailout gets called the Democrat bailout. People denied it but that's exactly what a lot of Republicans did. (in fact as I type at 11:09 the news is just stating that house Republican congressmen including Republican Rep John Boehner have called the news and said a deal is NOT done despite reports and they are the last holdouts.)
3.Bush's deal will get passed leaving only
4. Pelosi's bill which will languish in a huge public discussion for days or even weeks before the election day about how much the democrats and Obama want to waste on government spending making the voters completely forget Bush's bailout (this after 700 billion was just spent)
Get ready for the spin folks.
Take your anti nausea pills because you will be so dizzy by the time the Republican spinners get through you will need them. We can only hope that the establishment Republicans will actually make voters so sick that the voters will decide that they will join RAA (Republican Addicts Anonymous) and reject the behavior that leads to future policy hangovers.
By the way it was really rich to see Republicans recently claim that Democrats "would be like Hoover" if they didn't approve Bush's bailout bill for Wall Street and that they would leave the next president forced to act like Roosevelt in a depression if they didn't do what Bush wanted.
Let's be real clear - Hoover was Hoover BECUASE he kept giving things to wall street and did nothing to fix the huge income inequality which led to the loss of the consumer class and caused the slwodown inthe economy and thus unemployment and factory shutdowns. Bush's bill is MORE HOOVER not less.
LAstly whatever economic failure happens in the next few years will be the fault of the income inequality that has resulted from mostly Republican tax policy from the past 30 years and extremely exacerbated by Bush in the last 8 years.
Claiming that Depression will result and be the Democrats fault if this Bush bailout isn't passed is like the drunk driver handing you the wheel just before the car hits the corner and telling you if you don't steer into the wall on the right the crash is all your fault.
Bush speech neglects main causes of mortgage defaults - his policies
6:05pm PST Sept 24 2008
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In his speech tonight Bush discribed the reason for mortgage defaults being people borrowing more than they could afford. He doesn't want you to focus on the last bit - exactly WHY are the people suddenly unable to afford the mortgages? The primary reasons people can't afford their mortgages these days are loss of jobs, loss of one income in a two income family, a cut in income or a medical problem or the borrower was a victim of an unregulated, low teaser rate, mortgage whose monthly payments suddenly skyrocket after the teaser rates are over.
These are the facts Bush doesn't want to mention becuase all of these circumstances are directly attributable to his policies.
Bush's policies have caused losses of huge numbers of higher paying american jobs and lower pay for many other categories of jobs that have not been lost. His tactics included allowing virtually unlimited numbers of foreign workers (both legal and illegal) into the country depressing otherwise wages of formerly better paying jobs.
Bush has encouraged offshoring of factories and companies. Even Halliburton - VP Cheney's company - itself moved it's headquarters to the Middle East.
Furthermore Bush's policies of ensuring the continued unregulation of the Medical Industry means that for most people a major illness even with health insurance means financial devastation. Between incredibile deductibles, no control on provider charges, and retroactive disqualification many people with health insurance find themselves unable to pay basic financial costs like their mortgage if they get sick.
Lastly bush refused to put even the most obvious regulations into the lending industry. Despite the obvious problem with a mortgage or credit card that starts at a low payment and then jumps to a higher one, Bush refused to put even the most reasonable rules in place.
Bush was in power for 8 years with a republican conrolled congress for 6 years. He had complete control and hence has complete responsibility and blame.
So on virtually all fronts - loss of jobs and income, medical or credit card financial crisis and lack of mortgage regulation - Bush and his policies are specifically responsible for a huge portion of the mortgages currently in default.
He doesn't want to mention it but I will.
Guess What? - the Bush/Paulson "Stealout" plan isn't moving and the stock market DIDN'T crash
5pm PST Sept 24 2008
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Make no mistake we are in for some troubled times ahead. You can't have a tax system which has left 2% of the population sitting on more than half the countries wealth and paying a much smaller percentage of the taxes than the wealth they own. If you do that, as Hoover learned in the 20's, you soon don't have any middle class left. Since it is MIDDLE CLASS PURCHASING POWER which provides product sales and hence jobs for investors and workers and not the other way around, we are in for some real tough times until the tax code and minimum wage laws can be restructed to rebuild the middleclass like Roosevelt did.
However the lack of a huge and rapid further fall of the stock market when the Bush/Paulson "Stealout" plan is delayed does show that the $700 billion Stealout plan is NOT deemed necessary by investors to prevent mor epanic in the markets.
In fact there is much evidence that if the USA goes on the hook for ANOTHER trillion dollars in debt then it may so deflate the US currency and so lower the USA credit rating that the plan HURTS rather than helps the US recovery.
Bush wanted his unrestricted Treasury giveaway to Wall Street firms to happen without thought or delay. Bush knew that with delay comes the realization that there aren't weapons of mass financial destruction lurking in the now empty pockets of his wall street freinds. There aren't worth attacking with this Stealout proposal and we aren't going to see a financial mushroom cloud in two days if we don't do what Bush wants. We don't need to refill those empty pockets. Those financial threats to us are actually elsewhere - too low tax rates on passive wealth and too few increases in wage protections for the middleclass.
Only when those tax policy and wage protection corrections are made and several years have passed will the US begin the long slow crawl back to a balanced wealth population with the massive consumer spending power that made us the most powerful economy in the world.
Has anyone considered what would happen if Bush signed an executive signing statement which gave him the ability to spend all the money without ANY of the congressional CONTROLS in the BILL?
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Let's be clear. Bush has often signed a bill and then created a signing statemetn where he guts the bill and only enforces the part he wants . Bush often claims he is interpreting the bill in the light of the constitution which he claims gives him almost king like authority.
So what if Bush got this bill and it said Paulson -who is after all under the executive branch and Bush's direct authority- had access to all the money with all the congressional oversight controls. Then what if Bush signed the bill but wrote a signing statement saying that while Congress can approve the money Bush feels they don't have the ability to limit how he spends it. If Bush does that - and he has done it before- then Bush has 700 billion to give to Wall St ANYWAY HE WANTS.
This is why Congress should PASS NO BILL until we have a NEW President who can be trusted. The new president - no matter who he is - should not be burdened by Bush's new huge additional 700 billion dollar debt. The NEW PRESIDENT - not this one- should be the one creating and implementing any solutions to this supposed crisis (which there is still no evidence is actually a crisis that the 700 billion will even help.)
Republican "not feeling fuzzy" and Democrat Rep. Sherman mocks Paulson's claim that his questions aren't worth pursuing
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my editorial thought
1:55pm PST Sept 24 2008After Paulson declares a congressmen's question as " not worth pursuing becuase not working toward a solution" Rep Sherman of California says he understand that Paulson feels that anyone who doesn't bow down and agree to bush's plan is deemed to not be interested in a solution. another Rep Ginny Browne- Waite (a Florida Republican ) says you not pursuing any of these other alternatives and presenting us with this when congress's back is against the wall is "not leaving us feeling warm and fuzzy" Paulson answer he too is not feeling fuzzy. she then asks "What about credit cards? I have heard you asked if that is the next financial crisis and I have never heard you give a straight answer." he answers and she rips him "well maybe if you had actually read the law you just quoted you would know..." Rep Mel Watt D-NC "the message deliverer is the president of the united states whether we beleive him or not" We have heard people claim this is necessary but we don't have reason to beleive you. "almost all my calls are why are we doing ANYTHING" most people see nothign is collapsing in the past few days. "small bankers I have spoken to don't beleive inthe urgency either." Rep Gregory Meeks says "surely you realize you have a credibility problem with the citizens of the united states and that's why they don't beleive you" here's my editorial thought
Has anyone considered what would happen if Bush signed an executive signing statement which gave him the ability to spend all the money without ANY of the congressional CONTROLS in the BILL!!!!?
This and last century's depression (the one in 29 and this one)
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1:44pm PST Sept 24 2008Editors thoughts through the BS: This and last century's depression were caused by fed tax policy which causes concentration of wealth and disappearance of the consumer class resulting in shutdown of business NOT failure to rescue wall st wealth.
Bernanke says thee 700 billion is needed to allow people and small businesses to get easier car and business loans. If so Why not just put the 700 billion DIRECTLY into a to be borrowed fund for consumers with the government getting the interest? Of course that isn't the real reason (shifting public money to Wall Street as Bush's last hurray out the door is the real reason) so that wouldn't work but lets talk about the money. A billion is 100 million. There are approx 250 million people in the us. There are approx 100 million adults. Why not just provide all 100 million adults with $7000 in credit that can be used to pay monthly mortagages in exchange for a first piece of the home sales price? or buy cars or make small business loans? AT LEAST IT WOULD BE DIRECT USE OF THE MONEY IF THAT IS THE TRUE INTENTION. Bernanke unable to really express in a satisfactory way why this bailout would benefit main st. "Easier car loans and small business loans not enough to justify 700 billion"
