Bill Black on Young Turks with Cenk Uygur

In other news, the world economy is falling faster than 1929-1930, and Sheila Bair says that there is "no risk" in the plan for the FDIC to insure $100 billion in TARP funds that they leverege into $1 trillion.Sure hope she's not wrong about that.[...]

Read The Full Article:
http://firedoglake.com/2009/04/08/bill-black-on-young-turks-with-cenk-uyger/

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Solar Power: The Fastest Growing Energy Source In
The World

Get ready: The solar power “big bang” is getting underway as we speak. By all accounts, solar power is quickly becoming the fastest growing energy source in the United States, and indeed, the world.

But here’s the most amazing part…

Even with a meteoric 48% annual growth - and that of a…

Read The Full Article:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/jutiagroup/~3/zC5USG43ik0/

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THE DEATH OF CIRCUIT CITY.

Not to flood the blog with This American Life links, but the third segment of the aforementioned show is also worth a listen. It narrates the closure of Circuit City from the perspective of the employees who had to staff its decline. Dean Baker will be[...]

Read The Full Article:
http://www.prospect.org/csnc/blogs/ezraklein_archive?month=04&year=2009&base_name
=the_death_of_circuit_city

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Something Is Happening Here But You Don't Know
What It Is Do You, Mister Jones

For the past two days I asked people to watch the YouTube of a new (unreleased) Nanci Griffith song, "The Loving Kind," about a young interracial couple from Virginia who fled to Washington, DC to get married, something that was illegal in Virginia... illegal for mixed race couples. Today it is illegal for same-sex couples to get married in 46 states. But it may soon be legal in DC. Right now DC recognizes civil unions but yesterday the Council voted to recognize gay marriages from any state-- 4 currently have made it legal for gay couples to wed-- and will soon vote to legalize gay marriage entirely.

That measure is expected to be introduced in the council soon and undoubtedly will pit the city against opponents in Congress, which has the final say in the District's legislative matters.

Earlier this week the Iowa Supreme Court voted unanimously to toss out the state's unconstitutional ban on same sex marriage. Bigots and demagogues on the fringes of the far right are already forecasting the end of civilization, just like they did when interracial marriage was legalized. Right-wing hate groups like the National Organization for Marriage are hysterical. After the votes in Vermont and DC yesterday, their executive director, Brian Brown, hissed that "It's a bad day for the country... there's a palpable sense that something has changed..." Something is changing, indeed, but you don't know what it is, do you, Mr. Brown?

You walk into the room
With your pencil in your hand
You see somebody naked
And you say, who is that man?
You try so hard
But you dont understand
Just what you'll say
When you get home

Because something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?

You raise up your head
And you ask, is this where it is?
And somebody points to you and says
Its his
And you say, what's mine?
And somebody else says, where what is?
And you say, oh my god
Am I here all alone?

Because something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?

You hand in your ticket
And you go watch the geek
Who immediately walks up to you
When he hears you speak
And says, how does it feel
To be such a freak?
And you say, impossible
As he hands you a bone

Because something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?

You have many contacts
Among the lumberjacks
To get you facts
When someone attacks your imagination
But nobody has any respect
Anyway they already expect you
To just give a check
To tax-deductible charity organizations

You've been with the professors
And they've all liked your looks
With great lawyers you have
Discussed lepers and crooks
Youve been through all of
F. Scott Fitzgeralds books
Youre very well read
Its well known

Because something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?

Well, the sword swallower, he comes up to you
And then he kneels
He crosses himself
And then he clicks his high heels
And without further notice
He asks you how it feels
And he says, here is your throat back
Thanks for the loan

Because something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?

Now you see this one-eyed midget
Shouting the word now
And you say, for what reason?
And he says, how?
And you say, what does this mean?
And he screams back, youre a cow
Give me some milk
Or else go home

Because something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?

Well, you walk into the room
Like a camel and then you frown
You put your eyes in your pocket
And your nose on the ground
There ought to be a law
Against you comin around
You should be made
To wear earphones

Because something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?


video details and more



Read The Full Article:
http://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/2009/04/something-is-happening-here-but-you.h
tml

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Cheers and Jeers: Wednesday

From the GREAT STATE OF MAINE...

In Our Dreams

[Hello. Welcome to RecessionScrubber Pro 2.0. Press any key to begin.]

{Click}

[Which economy would you like to fix?]

{United States}

[Configuring Parameters for United States. One Moment Please...]

[Replacing Treasury Secretary module with Krugman/Stiglitz module]

["Party of No!" virus detected]
["Party of No!" virus removed]

[Installing Wall Street BonusBlaster Pro]

[1,246 undeserving Wall Street bonuses detected and removed]

[Installing Mortgage Rate Adjustment Pro. One Moment Please...]

[Mortgages Adjusted]

[Your Target Unemployment Rate?]

{3.5 PERCENT}

[One Moment Please...]

[Unemployment Rate is now 3.5 percent]

[Would you like to install Employee Free Choice Act?]

{YES}

[Employee Free Choice Act installed]

[RepublicanWhinyBaby.exe worm detected]
[RepublicanWhinyBaby.exe worm removed]

[Would you like to electrify Bernie Madoff's prison toilet seat?]

{YES}

[Bernie Madoff's prison toilet seat is now electrified]

[Re-Installing Federal Oversight Pro 2.0]
[Installing Education Module]
[Installing Green Energy Module]
[Installing Infrastructure Module]
[Installing Universal Health Care Module]

[Please swipe credit card and press Enter]

{ENTER}

[United States economy restored! Press any key to continue]

{Click}

[Now may we interest you in some fine American online pornography?]

{YES!}

Cheers and Jeers starts in There's Moreville... [Swoosh!!] RIGHTNOW! [Gong!!]

Read The Full Article:
http://feeds.dailykos.com/~r/dailykos/index/~3/_9NpniqaUxk/-Cheers-and-Jeers:-Wed
nesday

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Politics, Polling and Phones

Yesterday, I cut the cord: called Verizon and had them turn off the land line number I've had for the better part of a quarter century.

I had kept the land line for several reasons: first, in case I need to call 911. I should point out that I've never called 911, and do know that I can do so with my marvel iPhone. The second reason is because of politics and polling. I get calls from political campaigns. I'm not talking about the robo-calls where Bill Clinton asks me to remember to vote, but from primary candidates who actually use the Voter Services list. Actual candidates who are running, and are trying to get their message out to actual voters. It is much cheaper to make calls then to send a mailer, and that matters if you are a candidate who lacks funding. I don't know how they'll find me now, since cell phone numbers are unlisted. 

And then there are the pollsters.  I have never in my life been polled. I have been push-polled twice, but I don't know that that really counts. Still, I clung tenaciously to the hope that someone would call.

But the time came to cut the cord: I'm one of those people who never checks voice mail. The only "people" who call my home phone are normally looking to sell me swampland or get a donation for something. If people who know me need to reach me, they call my cell phone, and if I don't answer, they text me. Or else they email me, which then forwards to my cell phone. 

Still, I'm concerned for the politician who will try to call me. The one that doesn't make the news, but has positions that would interest me as a voter. OK, I'm not that concerned, since I honestly keep up with who is running for every office from Tax Assessor on up. But what about the "regular" voters: you know, the ones who get 100% of their political news from 30 second TV ads? On the front page of yesterday's USA Today, they cited a poll which said that currently 35% of Americans have a cell phone only. 

Most cell phone plans are pay-by-the-minute as opposed to the all-you-can-eat land line programs. Therefore, it seems unlikely that laws would be passed where cell phone numbers could be disseminated out to political types, charities, and spammers. How will the politicians reach out next year, when an even larger percentage of people have given up their land line? When I was speaking with Verizon, the agent told me that people are turning off their land lines daily, mostly because of the economy. If the percentage of cell-phone-only people rises to above 50%, what does that mean for pollsters? I know some of them do poll cell phones, but my guess is that a lot of the calls they make end up unanswered since Caller ID is an option on home phones, and automatic on cell phones. Will next year's numbers be skewed?

Read The Full Article:
http://www.Demconwatchblog.com/diary/1295/politics-polling-and-phones

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Burr drops his still-unexplained opposition to
Duckworth nomination.

Last week, Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) announced that he was delaying the “nomination of Tammy Duckworth, an injured Iraq war helicopter pilot, to be an assistant secretary at the Department of Veterans Affairs.” Burr’s office claimed that the senator was simply “doing some due diligence…to ensure veterans have the best representation,” but would not disclose what that “due diligence” was. Now, however, Burr is ready to let Duckworth’s nomination go forward. MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow reported last night:

MADDOW: Today, the senator’s office relented. Still not clear on what the “due diligence” was on a decorated helicopter pilot, double amputee, experienced veterans advocate, supported by all the veterans service organizations, and nationally known for her work. But it is done. At last.

Maddow noted, however, that this does not seem to signal “smoother sailing for the rest of the high-level nominations that are still stuck in the senate.” Watch it:

Contacted by ThinkProgress, Burr’s press secretary, David Ward, said that the senator was satisfied with Duckworth’s responses to a number of last-minute questions. Ward added that the senator is “looking forward to moving forward with [Duckworth’s] nomination.”

Read The Full Article:
http://thinkprogress.org/2009/04/08/burr-okays-duckworth/

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Chrysler debuts its only new car... it's an SUV

Looks like the same bone-headed "leadership" that Rob Nardelli delivered while at Home Depot. I only hope that this time, he doesn't walk away with hundreds of millions despite being a failure.

Chrysler insists the Jeep Grand Cherokee, which clocks in at 20 mpg in its two-wheel-drive version and 19 in four-wheel-drive, is a crowd favorite and a crucial part of its lineup.

"This is a very important vehicle for us. It's one of the primary legs of the Chrysler stool," Chrysler spokesman Rick Deneau said. "Customers have told us they want this vehicle and that it's the right size."

The 2011 model is 11 percent more fuel efficient than its predecessor, powered by a cleaner and more powerful engine. Still, Chrysler's decision to debut an SUV as its only new car at the New York International Auto Show seems like odd timing to say the least.

Wow. A whole 11% improvement. If there's one thing the future is calling for, it's another gas guzzling SUV. GM management gambled with a similar theory and thankfully was called out.

Read The Full Article:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Americablog/~3/b55HCpFC4Ko/chrysler-debuts-its-onl
y-new-car-its.html

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You Guys Have Already Lost

A brief- but excellent- video from the Majority Leader of the Iowa State Senate, Mike Gronstal, on[...]

Read The Full Article:
http://kansasjackass.blogspot.com/2009/04/you-guys-have-already-lost.html

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WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE TAKE OVER A BANK

There's been a quiet refrain in the nationalization debate. The theory seems sound. The toxicity of the assets is fairly well-established. Many of the banks seem likely to be insolvent. But what does it look like to nationalize them? How do you do it?[...]

Read The Full Article:
http://www.prospect.org/csnc/blogs/ezraklein_archive?month=04&year=2009&base_name
=what_happens_when_we_take_over

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