http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-ticker/dear-america-time-big-thank-amazon-141036276.html
I have to agree with Blodget here on what he says about Amazon. They are doing things the right way it seems and once the Kindle Fire comes out, they will grow much faster and increase profits in the long term. Right off the bat they will lose money on each device sold but in the long run make much more money due to purchases by customers for the device.
I like the end of the piece by Blodget.
"If more American companies started to do what Amazon does--ignore short-term pressures, sacrifice near-term profits, and invest for the long-term--the American economy would start to heal itself quickly. America would create more innovation, more jobs, and more long-term wealth. And, just as important, more Americans would be able to go back to being proud of our corporations and innovators and entrepreneurs... instead of camping in parks and protesting them."
Thursday, October 27, 2011
The ridiculousness of SOPA
The house is about to vote on the Stop Online Piracy Act which if passed allows copyright holders to take action against sites they don't like without going to court.
From Business Insider:
For example, under SOPA, a copyright holder can go directly to Google and ask them to block all Google ads from a website that is suspected of carrying copyrighted works. If it's a commercial site, credit card companies and services like PayPal have the right to block all payments.
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/stop-online-piracy-act-2011-10
Other information can be read on these other sites
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20111027/00083116531/e-parasites-bill-end-internet-as-we-know-it.shtml
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/10/house-takes-senates-bad-internet-censorship-bill-makes-it-worse.ars
This is not good folks!!
From Business Insider:
For example, under SOPA, a copyright holder can go directly to Google and ask them to block all Google ads from a website that is suspected of carrying copyrighted works. If it's a commercial site, credit card companies and services like PayPal have the right to block all payments.
It's a classic "shoot first, ask questions later" move, and has the potential to be harmful to sites and services such as Dropbox that depend on user uploaded content.
Some other alarming bullet points from SOPA:
- Search engines can be required to block accused websites from results.
- Internet service providers can be required to block accused websites from their customers.
- Payment companies don't need a request from a copyright holder to block a website. Instead, they can do so on their own if the suspect a website may be posting copyrighted work without permission.
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/stop-online-piracy-act-2011-10
Other information can be read on these other sites
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20111027/00083116531/e-parasites-bill-end-internet-as-we-know-it.shtml
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/10/house-takes-senates-bad-internet-censorship-bill-makes-it-worse.ars
This is not good folks!!
Hangover Parody - Miek Tyson, 50 Cent and Floyd Mayweather
This parody used to promote 50 Cent's energy drink includes Tyson who is hilarious.
Patriot Act turns 10
This is an intersting article to see how the Patriot Act has been used over the past 10 years. The fact that it seems to be hardly used for terrorist reasons is surprising. This law has always disturb me how it basically violates large parts of the fourth amendment The lack of needing a court issued warrant for acquiring phone, banking and other records has led the FBI and other federal agencies to issue national security letters asserting that the information they need is relevant to an ongoing terrorism or national security investigation. According to the article less than 1% of letters are related to terrorism. Most appear to be drug related.
The American public needs to wake up and start giving a dam about what this act does and how it invades our privacy. As Sen. Ron Wyden from Oregon states “We’re getting to a gap between what the public thinks the law says and what the American government secretly thinks the law says.“When you’ve got that kind of a gap, you’re going to have a problem on your hands.” This gap is growing people and if no action is taken soon our privacy will be basically gone.
I understand that after the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001, there was a need to quickly come up with measures to make America safer. However, the Bush administration's approach and strategy was deeply flawed and they pressured lawmakers to pass the measure quickly. The normal legislative and review process in both chambers of congress never happened. There was no public debate, no agency review and no judicial examination It didn't help that the Justice Department's (mainly AG John Ashcroft) numerous threat after threat warnings forced dissenting congressmen to keep quiet and follow the wishes of the administration so as not to be labeled unpatriotic. As Michael Moore showed in Fahrenheit 9/11 a number of lawmakers didn't even read the act or show even a desire to read it. This is a known problem with a lot of legislation as it is basically incomprehensible to understand unless you have a JD.
Unfortunately I don't see this act being repealed or diminished in its powers any time in the distant future. The average American doesn't care or even understand what this act does and our politicians are so bought off and partisan that they only vote based on what their donors want or how their party leaders tell them to vote.
Are we safer than we were 10 years ago...I guess we are, but is it because of the Patriot Act...I doubt it.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Friday, October 21, 2011
Final Battlefield 3 trailer
Tuesday is gonna be a big day in the video game world as the potential game of the year is released. Man this game looks amazing. I've already pre-ordered my copy from Best Buy. Can't wait to get killed by 10 year old kids during the on-line play.
Feist - "The Bad in Each Other" & How Come "You Never Go There" on Jools Holland
From her new album "Metals" which is one of the best albums of the year. Much better than her second album and approaching the greatness of her debut solo album.
Michael Winslow - 'Whole Lotta Love"
Wait for the electric guitars. Winslow from Police Academy Fame is amazing. Always been a fan and he hasn't lost anything with age.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Coldplay - "Paradise"
Not sure what this video means with the elephants and all but the song is catchy and better than Every Tear is a Waterfall.
Mylo Xyloto is their next album coming out next Tuesday and I will be buying it on that day. I'm expecting this to be their most pop album to date and I have my doubts about it standing up to their previous efforts. I heard the song they did with Rhiana and my first impression was nothing great but I will need to listen to it more. I know they want to be the biggest band in the world and they are on their way if they aren't already but maybe staying true to their roots instead of trying to change the wheel every time might be better. I guess I just yearn for something closer to Parachutes and A Rush of Blood to the Head.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - The Death Of You And Me
The former lyricist and lead guitarists of Oasis is out with his first solo album. This is his first single. Much better than his brother Liam's attempt with his new band Beady Eye who are a bunch of Beatle wannabes.
Damien Rice - "One"
One by Damien Rice
Irish folk singer Damien Rice doing a nice mellow cover of U2 famous song "One." This is part of a cover album celebrating the 20th anniversary of "Achutng Baby"
Irish folk singer Damien Rice doing a nice mellow cover of U2 famous song "One." This is part of a cover album celebrating the 20th anniversary of "Achutng Baby"
Lykke Li - "Unchained Melody"
Lykke Li - Unchained Melody (The Righteous Brothers Cover) by LykkeLi
Listen to the Swedish Songstress cover The Righteous Brothers class "Unchained Melody." She sounds amazing as usual but during the middle the slow pace is a little too slow for my liking but the beginning and end make up for it. Fans of hers will like it, people who don't know her will still prefer the original which truly can never be touched.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
OccupyWallStreet... What Doesn't the Media Get?
Another post by the insightful Two Clubs. This time discussing the spreading protest called OccupyWallStreet and the medias reaction
There is a lot of disinformation going on in the media today but none more egregious than that surrounding the OccupyWallStreet movement. For a body that quickly jumped on the Tea Party protests, and accepted them as organic in nature, this makes little sense. What are they missing in this grassroots movement that they quickly didn’t quickly comprehend from the Tea Party movement? I find it very disturbing that the news media is having difficulty with this. This is an industry filled with highly skilled people trained to conduct investigative research and journalism. How come these people cannot spend a day talking to the masses and aggregate a series of issues which resonate with the people at the protest? Why focus on the fringe instead of focusing on the majority? Is it because the news media is incompetent at doing such basic research, or is it because their corporate masters and rich benefactors have no desire to have the issues presented in a meaningful way? Is it more beneficial for these mega corporations to downplay or outright dismiss this movement, so it does not gain traction with the people? That will be answered later, but understanding the movement may be the place to start. What is this movement about? Why have all of these people taken to the streets in numbers that make the Tea Party protests seem miniscule? Why is this movement spreading beyond Wall Street and to cities all over the country? These are the questions the news media is failing to ask and unable to figure out for themselves. Just from the limited information available through social media I’ve managed to come to several conclusions about the movement and what it stands for or what can be construed as a list of demands the media has been so hungry to hear.
First, the most common issue I am hearing is a demand for social justice. This is a fuzzy term for most but makes perfect sense in our current cultural context. Social justice is the belief that citizens are created equal and should have fair and equal access to all institutions which establish or frame our society. This philosophy also believes in the universality of human rights and the recognition of the people’s needs over that of the enterprise or state. Conservatives have long railed against social justice as they have been programmed to interpret this as redistribution of property and income. While there is some truth to this position they tend to ignore the current economic system which does just that; redistributes property and income from the middle and lower classes and funnels it to the upper class and already monied. Social justice is for defining a playing field where regulations protect the masses and give equal access to those institutions which provide opportunity for achieving high levels of economic success. The current system is set up so only those who already have access to wealth will be able to accrue further wealth. The only hope for the non-privileged set is to stumble upon wealth through an act of God, like winning the lottery or through fame by becoming a reality television star. This isn’t social justice, this cruel and unusual punishment!
The social justice this movement has identified is the stuff that everyone supposedly would agree is a human need. An individual in a YouTube video called it “the Jesus” stuff; feeding the poor, healing the sick, educating the masses, and the ability for the people to be governed by their peers. In the context of today’s society that would mean providing a living minimum wage, providing universal health care, providing quality education, and a restructuring of our government to be representative of the people and for the people. This is not a massive redistribution of wealth or property, this is establishing the basic services meeting human needs and rights as provided by almost every other westernized nation on the planet.
The second issue I hear most often is a call for fiscal responsibility and equality within the economic system. This is the same issue the Tea Party originally began to coalesce around back in 2009. There is an almost universal belief in American culture that government spending has exceeded responsible levels and much of that spending has gone to institutions that aid the already rich and privileged. Responsibility, in this context, focuses on establishing an economic climate which is more transparent and protective of those in society that do not have the means to lose a huge sum of money in an economic downturn.
The return to fiscal responsibility begins with a reinstatement of the Glass Steagall Act of 1933, repealed in 1999 by Republicans during the Clinton administration. The protections afforded by Glass Steagall contributed to the prevention of the economic failures experienced after its repeal. From the depression through to the repeal of Glass Steagall the United States did not experience the types of economic turmoil associated with the past decade. The unification of banking interests, which was prevented by Glass Steagall, allowed access to fiscal resources, in the shape of mortgages and retirement vehicles, which should have remained protected, to be gambled in the markets. These resources were used with questionable investment strategies to reap hundreds of billions of dollars in profits for those in on the scheme, and then, when the house of cards collapsed, complete losses for millions of unsuspecting Americans. Gone was the value in retirement savings and home equity, affecting almost every citizen of the country. To add insult to injury was the fact that the government gave almost a trillion dollars of tax payer money to Wall Street to reward them for their monumental screw up.
What got people up in arms in 2009 was the fact that the funds were given at all. What has the OccupyWallStreet people up in arms is that the funds were given to Wall Street with no oversight or transparency. That money was given without any strings attached and, instead of being used to kick start the economy, was instead reinvested to garner more wealth for those who cashed in on the crash of the economy. The rich got richer on the backs of the same people who lost everything. This boils down to another demand for justice, but not of the social variety. Protesters have pointed out that billions of dollars was stolen from unsuspecting investors, the public coffers were also raided, and not a single criminal charge has been leveled against those responsible for this meltdown. The people are demanding to see where their money is being spent and by whom. They are calling for an audit of the Federal Reserve to find out just how badly the American people have been shafted.
The third issue that comes up with regularity is the belief in individual rights over corporate rights. The constitution was drafted by living, breathing individuals. Corporations were not on the radar when James Madison drafted the Bill of Rights, based on the ideas and writings of John Locke, the father of Liberalism. The idea of a non-living, non-self-aware entity being granted the rights afforded that of a living person would certainly cause both thinkers to go on at lengths about men, property and fruits of one’s labor. Contemplating that corporations, those socialistic collectives used to make money, should pay less tax than the average citizen would send either man into a fit of rebellious outrage. In the context of their day, the idea of a corporation having rights beyond that of an individual is just, well, un-American. It is this belief that has led the OccupyWallStreet set to point to draconian laws, like Citizens United, as being counter to the continued growth of individuals in the United States. As long as corporations continue to hold greater power than the individual, and have the ability to negatively affect our democratic processes, the system is set up for abuses which force the citizenry into indentured servitude to those same corporations. The repeal of Citizens United, and a re-examination of the tax code to eliminate all loop holes that give corporations greater benefits than those afforded to the poorest in this country is a foundation for positive change.
The fourth point is one that the Tea Party folk were also in favor of at the beginning of their protests. Constitutional compliance come front and center to the OccupyWallStreet cause. One person, one vote, and one democracy. When lobbyists can grease the gears of power in Washington with vast sums of money from corporations and special interests, buying favor to pass legislation favorable to their specific cause rather than the general good, our democracy becomes undemocratic, nay, an illiberal democracy. When corporations assume control of our democratic processes they control our government, without oversight or protections afforded individuals under the constitution. Elimination of special interests from the democratic process must take place if we are to save our system of government and our country.
Another point to be made on the OccupyWallStreet movement and the treatment in the media is on the rhetoric being fired back and forth. The Tea Party is being hoisted up on a pedestal as an example of a grass roots movement who had a message and carried it through, unlike these bongo playing hippies. I would like to remind the mass media, and you readers, that the Tea Party was, and on the grass roots level, still is fractured in their beliefs and message. Only that segment of the Tea Party which was co-opted by special interest money from the likes of Americans for Prosperity and Freedom Works, both off shoots of Citizens for a Sound Economy funded by big industry players, have found a common message, one borne in the minds of the staff of a well-funded conservative think tank. The real Tea Partiers, unaffiliated with the Glenn Becks or Sarah Palins or Michelle Bachmanns, believe the same core principals the Occupy Wall Street people are preaching. In fact, if you look closely, you will see the Gadsden flag represented in the mix at these protests, because this is not an ideological protest, this is a humanist protest.
Finally, I’ve heard that these people are “engaged in class warfare,” but this makes little sense. How does a group with no weapons (special interest money, bought-politicians, corporate controlled media, etc.) initiate a war against those who have those WMDs in spades? The idea is preposterous and is the mass media deflecting the true intentions of their corporate masters. The mass media has not spent a day talking to the masses and aggregate a series of issues which resonate with the people at the protest because that would expose that these people are informed and understand what is happening to them. The media instead focuses on the fringe, attempting to discredit the cause and dissuade anyone else from joining the ranks. It is not because the news media is lazy at doing such basic research, but it is because their corporate masters and rich benefactors have no desire to have the issues presented in a meaningful way. Is it more beneficial for these mega corporations to downplay or outright dismiss this movement, so it does not gain traction with the people and threaten their grip on power and their ability to steal billions from the country on a monthly basis. These people, young and old, have the audacity to challenge the current economic and political systems and these corporations will do everything in their power to shut them down for the good of their bank accounts and to the detriment of ours. We can only hope that the 99% can continue to put up a good fight and win this battle.
There is a lot of disinformation going on in the media today but none more egregious than that surrounding the OccupyWallStreet movement. For a body that quickly jumped on the Tea Party protests, and accepted them as organic in nature, this makes little sense. What are they missing in this grassroots movement that they quickly didn’t quickly comprehend from the Tea Party movement? I find it very disturbing that the news media is having difficulty with this. This is an industry filled with highly skilled people trained to conduct investigative research and journalism. How come these people cannot spend a day talking to the masses and aggregate a series of issues which resonate with the people at the protest? Why focus on the fringe instead of focusing on the majority? Is it because the news media is incompetent at doing such basic research, or is it because their corporate masters and rich benefactors have no desire to have the issues presented in a meaningful way? Is it more beneficial for these mega corporations to downplay or outright dismiss this movement, so it does not gain traction with the people? That will be answered later, but understanding the movement may be the place to start. What is this movement about? Why have all of these people taken to the streets in numbers that make the Tea Party protests seem miniscule? Why is this movement spreading beyond Wall Street and to cities all over the country? These are the questions the news media is failing to ask and unable to figure out for themselves. Just from the limited information available through social media I’ve managed to come to several conclusions about the movement and what it stands for or what can be construed as a list of demands the media has been so hungry to hear.
First, the most common issue I am hearing is a demand for social justice. This is a fuzzy term for most but makes perfect sense in our current cultural context. Social justice is the belief that citizens are created equal and should have fair and equal access to all institutions which establish or frame our society. This philosophy also believes in the universality of human rights and the recognition of the people’s needs over that of the enterprise or state. Conservatives have long railed against social justice as they have been programmed to interpret this as redistribution of property and income. While there is some truth to this position they tend to ignore the current economic system which does just that; redistributes property and income from the middle and lower classes and funnels it to the upper class and already monied. Social justice is for defining a playing field where regulations protect the masses and give equal access to those institutions which provide opportunity for achieving high levels of economic success. The current system is set up so only those who already have access to wealth will be able to accrue further wealth. The only hope for the non-privileged set is to stumble upon wealth through an act of God, like winning the lottery or through fame by becoming a reality television star. This isn’t social justice, this cruel and unusual punishment!
The social justice this movement has identified is the stuff that everyone supposedly would agree is a human need. An individual in a YouTube video called it “the Jesus” stuff; feeding the poor, healing the sick, educating the masses, and the ability for the people to be governed by their peers. In the context of today’s society that would mean providing a living minimum wage, providing universal health care, providing quality education, and a restructuring of our government to be representative of the people and for the people. This is not a massive redistribution of wealth or property, this is establishing the basic services meeting human needs and rights as provided by almost every other westernized nation on the planet.
The second issue I hear most often is a call for fiscal responsibility and equality within the economic system. This is the same issue the Tea Party originally began to coalesce around back in 2009. There is an almost universal belief in American culture that government spending has exceeded responsible levels and much of that spending has gone to institutions that aid the already rich and privileged. Responsibility, in this context, focuses on establishing an economic climate which is more transparent and protective of those in society that do not have the means to lose a huge sum of money in an economic downturn.
The return to fiscal responsibility begins with a reinstatement of the Glass Steagall Act of 1933, repealed in 1999 by Republicans during the Clinton administration. The protections afforded by Glass Steagall contributed to the prevention of the economic failures experienced after its repeal. From the depression through to the repeal of Glass Steagall the United States did not experience the types of economic turmoil associated with the past decade. The unification of banking interests, which was prevented by Glass Steagall, allowed access to fiscal resources, in the shape of mortgages and retirement vehicles, which should have remained protected, to be gambled in the markets. These resources were used with questionable investment strategies to reap hundreds of billions of dollars in profits for those in on the scheme, and then, when the house of cards collapsed, complete losses for millions of unsuspecting Americans. Gone was the value in retirement savings and home equity, affecting almost every citizen of the country. To add insult to injury was the fact that the government gave almost a trillion dollars of tax payer money to Wall Street to reward them for their monumental screw up.
What got people up in arms in 2009 was the fact that the funds were given at all. What has the OccupyWallStreet people up in arms is that the funds were given to Wall Street with no oversight or transparency. That money was given without any strings attached and, instead of being used to kick start the economy, was instead reinvested to garner more wealth for those who cashed in on the crash of the economy. The rich got richer on the backs of the same people who lost everything. This boils down to another demand for justice, but not of the social variety. Protesters have pointed out that billions of dollars was stolen from unsuspecting investors, the public coffers were also raided, and not a single criminal charge has been leveled against those responsible for this meltdown. The people are demanding to see where their money is being spent and by whom. They are calling for an audit of the Federal Reserve to find out just how badly the American people have been shafted.
The third issue that comes up with regularity is the belief in individual rights over corporate rights. The constitution was drafted by living, breathing individuals. Corporations were not on the radar when James Madison drafted the Bill of Rights, based on the ideas and writings of John Locke, the father of Liberalism. The idea of a non-living, non-self-aware entity being granted the rights afforded that of a living person would certainly cause both thinkers to go on at lengths about men, property and fruits of one’s labor. Contemplating that corporations, those socialistic collectives used to make money, should pay less tax than the average citizen would send either man into a fit of rebellious outrage. In the context of their day, the idea of a corporation having rights beyond that of an individual is just, well, un-American. It is this belief that has led the OccupyWallStreet set to point to draconian laws, like Citizens United, as being counter to the continued growth of individuals in the United States. As long as corporations continue to hold greater power than the individual, and have the ability to negatively affect our democratic processes, the system is set up for abuses which force the citizenry into indentured servitude to those same corporations. The repeal of Citizens United, and a re-examination of the tax code to eliminate all loop holes that give corporations greater benefits than those afforded to the poorest in this country is a foundation for positive change.
The fourth point is one that the Tea Party folk were also in favor of at the beginning of their protests. Constitutional compliance come front and center to the OccupyWallStreet cause. One person, one vote, and one democracy. When lobbyists can grease the gears of power in Washington with vast sums of money from corporations and special interests, buying favor to pass legislation favorable to their specific cause rather than the general good, our democracy becomes undemocratic, nay, an illiberal democracy. When corporations assume control of our democratic processes they control our government, without oversight or protections afforded individuals under the constitution. Elimination of special interests from the democratic process must take place if we are to save our system of government and our country.
Another point to be made on the OccupyWallStreet movement and the treatment in the media is on the rhetoric being fired back and forth. The Tea Party is being hoisted up on a pedestal as an example of a grass roots movement who had a message and carried it through, unlike these bongo playing hippies. I would like to remind the mass media, and you readers, that the Tea Party was, and on the grass roots level, still is fractured in their beliefs and message. Only that segment of the Tea Party which was co-opted by special interest money from the likes of Americans for Prosperity and Freedom Works, both off shoots of Citizens for a Sound Economy funded by big industry players, have found a common message, one borne in the minds of the staff of a well-funded conservative think tank. The real Tea Partiers, unaffiliated with the Glenn Becks or Sarah Palins or Michelle Bachmanns, believe the same core principals the Occupy Wall Street people are preaching. In fact, if you look closely, you will see the Gadsden flag represented in the mix at these protests, because this is not an ideological protest, this is a humanist protest.
Finally, I’ve heard that these people are “engaged in class warfare,” but this makes little sense. How does a group with no weapons (special interest money, bought-politicians, corporate controlled media, etc.) initiate a war against those who have those WMDs in spades? The idea is preposterous and is the mass media deflecting the true intentions of their corporate masters. The mass media has not spent a day talking to the masses and aggregate a series of issues which resonate with the people at the protest because that would expose that these people are informed and understand what is happening to them. The media instead focuses on the fringe, attempting to discredit the cause and dissuade anyone else from joining the ranks. It is not because the news media is lazy at doing such basic research, but it is because their corporate masters and rich benefactors have no desire to have the issues presented in a meaningful way. Is it more beneficial for these mega corporations to downplay or outright dismiss this movement, so it does not gain traction with the people and threaten their grip on power and their ability to steal billions from the country on a monthly basis. These people, young and old, have the audacity to challenge the current economic and political systems and these corporations will do everything in their power to shut them down for the good of their bank accounts and to the detriment of ours. We can only hope that the 99% can continue to put up a good fight and win this battle.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Bright Eyes - "No One Would Riot For Less" Clueless Dubstep Remix
Download Bright Eyes No One Would Riot For Less Clueless Dubstep Remix
Remix from a deepcut on Cassadega...Bright Eyes, true geniuses!
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Portugal the Man - "So American" Conan O'Brien Show
Making their network debut. Not sure why it has taken these guys so long to get on network TV. They are an amazing band and this is something like their 6th album.
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