June, 2010 archive
First Things . . . . 0
MarketWatch:
Another problem: Affordability issues are still lingering, said Nicolas P. Retsinas, the center’s director. According to the report, 40.3 million households spent more than 30% of their income on housing in 2008, and 18.6 million spent more than half of their income, up from 13.8 million in 2001.
“Notwithstanding the fall of prices and tempering of rents, there are serious affordability challenges,” Retsinas said.
Real median household incomes are poised to end 2010 lower than they were in 2000, according to the report. The household median income was $49,800 in 2008, down from $52,400 in 2000, the report said, citing the most recent data available.
Also, deficits.
Spill Here, Spill Now, Coming Attractions 0
Michael Klare, writing in the Asia Times, points out that one of the contributors to BP’s wild well was searching for oil in more difficult–they say “extreme”–locations. He goes so far as to call it an “inevitable result,” which I find rather a stretch.
It was certainly an inevitable result when drilling in an extreme location is compounded by cutting corners on safety, failing to install back-up equipment, and ignoring warnings.
When recklessness mates with incompetence, inevitability is the offspring.
To illustrate his points, the writer posits four hypothetical locations for the next failure; they are not science fiction, though they read like it. Follow the link for the very detailed explanation:
- Newfoundland – Hibernia Platform Destroyed by Iceberg
- Nigeria – America’s Oil Quagmire
- Brazil – Cyclone Hits “Pre-Salt” Oil Rigs
- East China Sea – A Clash Over Subsea Gas
Aside: Field had a post about the situation in Nigeria a couple of days ago.
Twits on Twitter 0
Apparently, Buccaneer Petroleum just needs to twit more:
I wonder how many of the participants in this survey don’t twit.
Atomic Dreams 0
Watch for the reaction:
He is the 38th independent amateur physicist in the world to achieve nuclear fusion from a homemade reactor, according to community site Fusor.net. Others on the list include a 15-year-old from Michigan and a doctoral student in Ohio.
I will try to restrain my skepticism. Henry Ford built his first quadricycle started in a stable.
Meet Glenn Nye 0
Details at Blue Virginia.
Afterwards join Hands across the Sand (see the link on the sidebar, over there ————————->); bring sunscreen.
McChrystal Clear 1
I said last year that we had probably missed the boat in Afghanistan. The United States invaded that country because Osama bin Laden was there; then the chase for Bin Laden got abandoned for the Bushie Great and Glorious Patriotic War for a Lie in Iraq.
I agreed with President Obama when he said, during the campaign, that we should have finished Afghanistan and not started Iraq. But we didn’t and we did.
It’s been almost a decade and apparently bin Laden has abandoned Afghanistan.
The boat has sailed.
Now, it seems that the United States (and my son) are in Afghanistan (my son for the second time) for no other reason than that we are in Afghanistan.
Catch 22. It’s the best catch there is.
Cynthia Tucker in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Spill Here, Spill Now, Transoceanic Dept. 0
Clear and present dangers (and pelicans) are for wimps.
The Fee Hand of the Market, Dodgy Dodger Dept. 0
From the Chicago Trib:
The bad news is that banks are starting to design new fees to help make up for the surcharges they might lose.
I have no problem with banks charging fees as long as the fees are open and above board.
In recent years, though, they have not been. In too many cases, we have been dealing with the National Bank of by Hook or by Crook.
Driving While Brown 0
Anti-immigrant hysteria claims another town:
The measure was passed on a turn-out of 45% of the population, with 3,906 in favour and 2,908 against.
Fremont has relatively few immigrants: in a 2008 census, 4.4% of its 25,000 population were recorded as foreign born, compared with the national figure of 12.6%. Most are Hispanics.
Who Decides, Indeed? 0
Brendan asks a question.
Yesterday, I was idly wondering something similar myself. Applying that label to someone today is the all-purpose make-thought-stop-make-knees-jerk insult of our time.
Twits on Twitter 0
No surprise here.
Spill Here, Spill Now, Rick Steiner Update 0
Mudflats has a report from Professor Rick Steiner, a marine conservation biologist who has been advising on dealing with BP’s wild well.
Read it. If nothing else, you will find it refreshing to hear from someone who is qualified to pundificate on this.
Angry Tree Stalks Delaware Drivers 0
I know that tree. It’s as bent as my bent-wood rocker:
A woman in Delaware was seriously injured when she lost control of her vehicle and hit a tree.
(snip)
There have been two fatal accidents recently at this same intersection involving the tree.
Later:
Guerrilla tree raids in Virginia.
“Jones Act” Red Herring (Updated) 0
Steve Benen explains why right wing claims that President Obama is refusing foreign help in dealing with BP’s wild well goes beyond baseless into the well-known territory of being another Republican lie. A nugget:
The second point to keep in mind is that the White House hasn’t granted a waiver for the Jones Act because there’s been no need to. There have been “15 foreign-flagged vessels” involved in the response. How many needed a waiver to participate? None. How many vessels have been turned away because of the Jones Act? None.
I have heard this particular lie repeated unchallenged several times in the past week at respected news outlets. I respect them a little less now.
Addendum, Later That Same Day:
Criswell Cesca predicts.
For the Birds 0
Emus:
(snip)
“My cat has been having fun,” said Nancy Conklin, who lives in the neighborhood. “We have screened porches and he watches the bird. He knew it was a big bird. He crouched up the screen like he was stalking something and his tail got as big as a bottle brush. He runs from window to window to watch it.”
