Alone.
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
"Ted Cruz Didn’t Disclose Loan From Goldman Sachs for His First Senate Campaign."-New York Times.
That is a careful, very fair headline.
It is the failure to disclose that is the impropriety, not the loan itself.
So that's a problem.
It is also important to identify the bank, Goldman Sachs, in the lede because Goldman was a leading lender in the sub-prime mortgage market, which caused the housing bubble which triggered the Great Recession; because Goldman was singled out by the U.S. Senate for its reckless practices and fined $550 million by the Securities and Exchange Commission; because Goldman was bailed out by the U.S. government, $12.9 BILLION, for AIG's losses, all of which led to charges of favoritism and to comments like this:
“Like many other players on Wall Street and big business, [Goldman Sachs] seek out and get special favors from government.”-Ted Cruz, last year.
Which leads to comments like this on people running for president who make comments like that:
Mr. Cruz, a conservative former Texas solicitor general, was campaigning as a populist firebrand who criticized Wall Street bailouts and the influence of big banks in Washington. It is a theme he has carried into his bid for the Republican nomination for president.-The New York Times.
So basically Ted Cruz can suck my dick.
I have only one question: was the loan in loonies?
It is the failure to disclose that is the impropriety, not the loan itself.
So that's a problem.
It is also important to identify the bank, Goldman Sachs, in the lede because Goldman was a leading lender in the sub-prime mortgage market, which caused the housing bubble which triggered the Great Recession; because Goldman was singled out by the U.S. Senate for its reckless practices and fined $550 million by the Securities and Exchange Commission; because Goldman was bailed out by the U.S. government, $12.9 BILLION, for AIG's losses, all of which led to charges of favoritism and to comments like this:
“Like many other players on Wall Street and big business, [Goldman Sachs] seek out and get special favors from government.”-Ted Cruz, last year.
Which leads to comments like this on people running for president who make comments like that:
Mr. Cruz, a conservative former Texas solicitor general, was campaigning as a populist firebrand who criticized Wall Street bailouts and the influence of big banks in Washington. It is a theme he has carried into his bid for the Republican nomination for president.-The New York Times.
So basically Ted Cruz can suck my dick.
I have only one question: was the loan in loonies?
MH370.
The Aussies found...a 200 year old shipwreck while looking for the plane. They have searched 45,000 square miles of the Indian Ocean and can't find a two year old planewreck. The only parts of the plane found washed up on Reunion Island and were found by some local beachcomber. That's fucked up, man.
Al Jezeera America Finis.
The respected Qatar-based news channel will close up shop in April.
The decision was explained as “driven by the fact that our business model is simply not sustainable in light of the economic challenges in the U.S. media marketplace.”
The decision was explained as “driven by the fact that our business model is simply not sustainable in light of the economic challenges in the U.S. media marketplace.”
Obama Regrets.
"It's one of the few regrets of my presidency -- that the rancor and suspicion between the parties has gotten worse instead of better. There's no doubt a president with the gifts of Lincoln or Roosevelt might have better bridged the divide, and I guarantee I'll keep trying to be better so long as I hold this office."
Interesting. One time, I think it was the 2012 convention, Onama said he he wished that he could "explain" things as well as President Clinton did.
Interesting. One time, I think it was the 2012 convention, Onama said he he wished that he could "explain" things as well as President Clinton did.
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
President Obama's State of the Union Address.
Number eight! And no more. The president is expected to say he ain't goin' nowhere, he's gonna stay involved in public policy and he will say the following on accounta these are official excerpts released by the White House. The speech begins at 9:00 pm, ET.
“We live in a time of extraordinary change – change that’s reshaping the way we live, the way we work, our planet and our place in the world. It’s change that promises amazing medical breakthroughs, but also economic disruptions that strain working families. It promises education for girls in the most remote villages, but also connects terrorists plotting an ocean away. It’s change that can broaden opportunity, or widen inequality. And whether we like it or not, the pace of this change will only accelerate.
“We live in a time of extraordinary change – change that’s reshaping the way we live, the way we work, our planet and our place in the world. It’s change that promises amazing medical breakthroughs, but also economic disruptions that strain working families. It promises education for girls in the most remote villages, but also connects terrorists plotting an ocean away. It’s change that can broaden opportunity, or widen inequality. And whether we like it or not, the pace of this change will only accelerate.
America has been through big changes before – wars and depression, the influx of immigrants, workers fighting for a fair deal, and movements to expand civil rights. Each time, there have been those who told us to fear the future; who claimed we could slam the brakes on change, promising to restore past glory if we just got some group or idea that was threatening America under control. And each time, we overcame those fears. We did not, in the words of Lincoln, adhere to the “dogmas of the quiet past.” Instead we thought anew, and acted anew. We made change work for us, always extending America’s promise outward, to the next frontier, to more and more people. And because we did – because we saw opportunity where others saw only peril – we emerged stronger and better than before.”
“The future we want – opportunity and security for our families; a rising standard of living and a sustainable, peaceful planet for our kids – all that is within our reach. But it will only happen if we work together. It will only happen if we can have rational, constructive debates.
It will only happen if we fix our politics.
A better politics doesn’t mean we have to agree on everything. This is a big country, with different regions and attitudes and interests. That’s one of our strengths, too. Our Founders distributed power between states and branches of government, and expected us to argue, just as they did, over the size and shape of government, over commerce and foreign relations, over the meaning of liberty and imperatives of security.
But democracy does require basic bonds of trust between its citizens.”
Sporting News.
It becomes the disagreeable duty of the undersigned to report that Manchester City's quiet neighbors
DREW at Coca-Cola Championship-bound Newcastle United today. The "Striped Prison Shirtings" scored in the 90th minute to even it up.
And, Asti Spumante WON. :o The Claret (and blue) beat Child Porn at the Winery. The "Villains" record is now a robust 2 wins, 5 draws and only 17 defeats, good for a solid 20th place in the 20-team EPL.
DREW at Coca-Cola Championship-bound Newcastle United today. The "Striped Prison Shirtings" scored in the 90th minute to even it up.
And, Asti Spumante WON. :o The Claret (and blue) beat Child Porn at the Winery. The "Villains" record is now a robust 2 wins, 5 draws and only 17 defeats, good for a solid 20th place in the 20-team EPL.
Bernie Trump Leads Hillary Clinton by 14 in New Hampshire.
Voting is February 9.
Contested primary winners.
Democrats
2008: Hillary Clinton. Not nominated
2004: John Kerry. Nominated.
2000: Al Gore. Nominated.
1992: Paul Tsongas. Not nominated.
1988: Michael Dukakis. Nominated.
1984: Gary Hart. Not nominated.
1980: Jimmy Carter. Nominated.
1976: Jimmy Carter. Nominated.
1972: Edmund Muskie. Not nominated.
1968: Lyndon Johnson. Not nominated.
1956: Estes Kefauver. Not nominated.
1952: Estes Kefauver. Not nominated.
Republicans
2012: Mitt Romney. Nominated.
2008: John McCain. Nominated.
2000: John McCain. Not nominated.
1996: Pat Buchanan. Not nominated.
1992: George H.W. Bush. Nominated.
1976: Gerald R. Ford. Nominated.
1972: Richard Nixon. Nominated.
1968: Richard Nixon. Nominated.
1964: Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. Not nominated.
1952: Dwight D. Eisenhower. Nominated.
1948: Harold Stassen. Not nominated.
Contested primary winners.
Democrats
2008: Hillary Clinton. Not nominated
2004: John Kerry. Nominated.
2000: Al Gore. Nominated.
1992: Paul Tsongas. Not nominated.
1988: Michael Dukakis. Nominated.
1984: Gary Hart. Not nominated.
1980: Jimmy Carter. Nominated.
1976: Jimmy Carter. Nominated.
1972: Edmund Muskie. Not nominated.
1968: Lyndon Johnson. Not nominated.
1956: Estes Kefauver. Not nominated.
1952: Estes Kefauver. Not nominated.
Republicans
2012: Mitt Romney. Nominated.
2008: John McCain. Nominated.
2000: John McCain. Not nominated.
1996: Pat Buchanan. Not nominated.
1992: George H.W. Bush. Nominated.
1976: Gerald R. Ford. Nominated.
1972: Richard Nixon. Nominated.
1968: Richard Nixon. Nominated.
1964: Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. Not nominated.
1952: Dwight D. Eisenhower. Nominated.
1948: Harold Stassen. Not nominated.
Monday, January 11, 2016
Oil Prices Lowest in 12 Years.
And somehow that is not an unmitigated good thing according to the headlines. It's mitigated. Somehow.
Last year it took me a while to understand why oil started going through the floor, why with the world out of the Great Recession, sanctions on Russia begun, and China still chugging along-the "fundamentals" looked good. To me. Prices started going through the floor because the Saudis tried to stillborn the American shale oil industry, the revolution in natural gas produced by fracking, by refusing to cut production. Drive the price down to maintain market share. Okay. Okay, I get that.
But one of the reasons given for the current slump, oil has fallen every single day in 2016, is that Xi Jinping has bats in his belfry and the Chinese economy is in deep shit (and it really looks like it's in deep shit). Okay, fine! I get that too except then why when the Chinese economy was chugging along was oil still dropping? Huh? You make me sick.
Still don't get why no sunny headlines in America, either. Comparatively I don't give a FUCK about what problems the fall has caused Russia and Saudi Arabia. Nor American commodities traders. You had "long" when you should have had "short" and now your 401k is a 201k? Well, you're a fucking short pencil dick anyway, go jump out a fucking window! And take the Russians and Saudis with you!
Oil has fallen 50% in the last year, okay? So why were gasoline prices at the pump a year ago $2.14 and today $1.96? That ain't no 50% drop, Pilgrim! That's another thing I don't understand. Basically, I don't understand shit. The Russians and Saudis and oil futures traders can still go jump out a window.
Last year it took me a while to understand why oil started going through the floor, why with the world out of the Great Recession, sanctions on Russia begun, and China still chugging along-the "fundamentals" looked good. To me. Prices started going through the floor because the Saudis tried to stillborn the American shale oil industry, the revolution in natural gas produced by fracking, by refusing to cut production. Drive the price down to maintain market share. Okay. Okay, I get that.
But one of the reasons given for the current slump, oil has fallen every single day in 2016, is that Xi Jinping has bats in his belfry and the Chinese economy is in deep shit (and it really looks like it's in deep shit). Okay, fine! I get that too except then why when the Chinese economy was chugging along was oil still dropping? Huh? You make me sick.
Still don't get why no sunny headlines in America, either. Comparatively I don't give a FUCK about what problems the fall has caused Russia and Saudi Arabia. Nor American commodities traders. You had "long" when you should have had "short" and now your 401k is a 201k? Well, you're a fucking short pencil dick anyway, go jump out a fucking window! And take the Russians and Saudis with you!
Oil has fallen 50% in the last year, okay? So why were gasoline prices at the pump a year ago $2.14 and today $1.96? That ain't no 50% drop, Pilgrim! That's another thing I don't understand. Basically, I don't understand shit. The Russians and Saudis and oil futures traders can still go jump out a window.
"[WATCH] Here’s why Ricky Gervais is a Golden Gloves host worth being EXICTED about!"-tv3.ie
Very "exicting." Landed some good shots, I read, didn't watch but read he landed some good shots, Ricky did.
The lads at tv3 ought to lay off the whiskey when they're writing headlines.
Sunday, January 10, 2016
The 133rd Pennsylvania Regiment at Fredericksburg. II
January 10, 2016:
Man, another cool Ebay item just two days after the Vanity Fair listing. This is one of the very few writings by a member of the 133rd Pa. I have ever seen. Off the top of my head it is the third, Rev. Hartsock's diary and the Nathaniel Brown letter being the other two.
I corresponded with another descendant a few years ago. I mentioned that I was frustrated that there was virtually nothing in the hand of any of the soldiers. He replied something to the effect of, "Oh, our ancestors were just farm boys, I don't think many could write." I had never thought of that! But when I did think of it I didn't think it was correct. Bell Wiley collected the letters of hundreds of CSA soldiers and the southern boys were much closer to illiteracy than the northern boys. (Some of their letters were so bad I don't know how Professor Wiley ever made them out.)
There is a difference between complete illiteracy, able only to mark an "X" as your signature, for example, and semi-literacy, able to write a little, and that poorly, and barely readable. The seller of this item writes, for instance, "This fascinating, Civil War Diary kept by a common, uneducated Private..." But he wrote! Common and uneducated though surely he was, he wrote and in this case wrote a whole diary!
For so many soldiers North and South the war was the first time they had ever been away from home. The homesickness must have been terrible and I think the southern soldiers' letters are testament to their longing. If they were able to at all, they were damn well gonna write-to their ma's and pa's and their sweethearts. For many those were surely the first letters they had ever written in their lives.
So, I think my correspondent's explanation doesn't explain it or doesn't explain it all. But given how close to illiteracy they were, how difficult it must have been for them to write, how they must have labored over it, asking their comrades for help, my friend is probably more correct than not. It was a chore for them to get off a letter and they probably didn't do it often.
I have marked this as a "watch" item but I do not think I am going to bid on it since the diary entries begin February 25, 1863 and my ancestor, Sgt. Nathan Bracken, was killed at Fredericksburg on December 13, 1862, hence the title of this series. For other descendants of the regiments' soldiers however, particularly those of Private Valentine Barker, this is a once-in-a-lifetime find. Here is the link to the Ebay listing and a couple of pictures. http://www.ebay.com/itm/1863-CIVIL-WAR-SOLDIERS-MANUSCRIPT-POCKET-DIARY-133RD-REGT-PENNSYLVANIA-INFANTRY-/201499664228?.
January 8, 2016:
Okay, this is the first post on the second installment. The first installment was added onto so much that it grew too big for a normal blogger post.
I found this today on Ebay:
And that sentiment is consistent with the "look" of members of the 133rd Pa. in the only photograph of any of them that I have ever found, in Washington, D.C. Eight wild and crazy guys!
Man, another cool Ebay item just two days after the Vanity Fair listing. This is one of the very few writings by a member of the 133rd Pa. I have ever seen. Off the top of my head it is the third, Rev. Hartsock's diary and the Nathaniel Brown letter being the other two.
I corresponded with another descendant a few years ago. I mentioned that I was frustrated that there was virtually nothing in the hand of any of the soldiers. He replied something to the effect of, "Oh, our ancestors were just farm boys, I don't think many could write." I had never thought of that! But when I did think of it I didn't think it was correct. Bell Wiley collected the letters of hundreds of CSA soldiers and the southern boys were much closer to illiteracy than the northern boys. (Some of their letters were so bad I don't know how Professor Wiley ever made them out.)
There is a difference between complete illiteracy, able only to mark an "X" as your signature, for example, and semi-literacy, able to write a little, and that poorly, and barely readable. The seller of this item writes, for instance, "This fascinating, Civil War Diary kept by a common, uneducated Private..." But he wrote! Common and uneducated though surely he was, he wrote and in this case wrote a whole diary!
For so many soldiers North and South the war was the first time they had ever been away from home. The homesickness must have been terrible and I think the southern soldiers' letters are testament to their longing. If they were able to at all, they were damn well gonna write-to their ma's and pa's and their sweethearts. For many those were surely the first letters they had ever written in their lives.
So, I think my correspondent's explanation doesn't explain it or doesn't explain it all. But given how close to illiteracy they were, how difficult it must have been for them to write, how they must have labored over it, asking their comrades for help, my friend is probably more correct than not. It was a chore for them to get off a letter and they probably didn't do it often.
I have marked this as a "watch" item but I do not think I am going to bid on it since the diary entries begin February 25, 1863 and my ancestor, Sgt. Nathan Bracken, was killed at Fredericksburg on December 13, 1862, hence the title of this series. For other descendants of the regiments' soldiers however, particularly those of Private Valentine Barker, this is a once-in-a-lifetime find. Here is the link to the Ebay listing and a couple of pictures. http://www.ebay.com/itm/1863-CIVIL-WAR-SOLDIERS-MANUSCRIPT-POCKET-DIARY-133RD-REGT-PENNSYLVANIA-INFANTRY-/201499664228?.
January 8, 2016:
Okay, this is the first post on the second installment. The first installment was added onto so much that it grew too big for a normal blogger post.
I found this today on Ebay:
Heh-heh-heh-heh.
Dimming Quasar: This Is What Happens When A Black Hole Has Eaten Its Fill-Tech Times
Trump's not the only candidate getting a lot of free publicity.
Like I don't know who won the college tackle football championship. I thought I was on top of that shit. I'm not. I'm on the bottom underneath all that shit. Maybe the national championship is called the Powerball National Championship game. No, 'cause it's a lottery. So it can't be that. Maybe the school that won won the Powerball too. I don't frigging know. I can't believe this shit.
The City of Champions.
For yinz Picksburgers, whether by birth, residence or heart, this was a doggone good day. The 24th ranked scholary short pants basketball "Panthers" beat Notre Dame du Lac at du Lac 86-82 and, most importantly for yinzers everywheres their beloved "Stillers" beat the "Stretchmarked Pumpkins" of Cincinnati in a National Concussion League playoff game.
H2Pittsburgh!
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