One more week left in September. A new open thread is here. There is plenty to talk about. By now everyone has seen 9500 Liberty or at least had the opportunity to see it. I am watching “Waiting for Superman,” a documentary about America’s education system. Apparently it looks at the worst rather than the best. Davis Guggenheim of ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ is the filmmaker.
I am not sure I am buying in to all this. Mr. Howler was listening about all the crappy teachers. He threw in one remark and left the room: what about all the crappy students? The documentary opened Friday. I am sure we will hear a great deal more in the upcoming weeks.
Robert KuttnerCo-founder and co-editor of The American Prospect
Posted: September 26, 2010 08:43 PM
The Optimistic Scenario for Election Day
Karl Rove, nobody’s idea of a liberal, is in the doghouse with Sean Hannity and the Tea Party crowd because Rove has publicly said that some of the candidates who won Republican nominations are too far-right to get elected. If Karl Rove is worried about this risk to his grand designs, it may even be true.
The Democrats caught a few breaks, in the nomination of Tea Party nutcakes like Christine O’Donnell in Delaware and Joe Miller in Alaska. As the national media focuses on the campaign, the effects spread beyond increasing the likelihood of Democratic wins in these two states (which had previously been considered safe for Republicans.) The result will be to remind voters of the extremism of Republicans generally.
Democrats may also get lucky if the rumored John Boehner sleaze scandal turns out to be true, and Republicans dither while the media piles on and Boehner twists in the wind. On the other hand, if the story can’t be proven, it strengthens Boehner.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-kuttner/the-optimistic-scenario-f_b_739775.html
What has John Boehner supposedly done?
Who does Hannity think he is? He might end up paying for pissing off Karl Rove. Rove gained some political capital with me when he got up and danced even though he got blind-sided.
Karl Rove was never a conservative. He was never a liberal. He is a political operative. He invented “compassionate conservatism.” He dislikes the Tea Party and he dislikes grassroots activism. He dislikes anything that reduces HIS influence and power. I don’t understand why he is still being paid any attention. HIS guys are losing, and HIS President has retired off of the world’s stage. He just wants to be able to play kingmaker. Its not so much that he criticizes the new candidates as he actually denigrates them and seems to be TRYING to look bad. It doesn’t help that it came out that Rove was WORKING for Castle. Now, if the shoe was on the other foot, he would be first in line demanding that conservatives fall in line and support any GOP candidates. Well, that game is over.
John Boehner is playing politics as usual. He has not ruled out earmarks in any future GOP plans. The old guard haven’t truly realized that the Tea Party is as fed up with them as they are the Democrats.
The John Boehner affair is just yet another last ditch effort showing just how desperate and pathetic the Democrats have become. A lefty blogger started the rumor and the NY Times is going to run with it as if was an actual story just before midterms to make Republicans look bad.
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/Evidence-points-to-left-wing-activist-as-source-of-Boehner-affair-rumor-103837624.html
The NY Times did the same exact thing to John McCain just before the presidential election. The came up with a rumor that McCain was having some affair and ran the story. How utterly pathetic from the ever desperate Democrats, it’s quite sad actually that this is what they are now reduced to… making things up to score some cheap political points, tools.
@ hello,
How about what Republicans did to John McCain in South Carolina? Something about him fathering a black child? That was dirty pool.
I know you LUV the Republican Party or the Tea Party or whoever it is you like that isn’t a Democrat. For those of us who are Indiependent, it gets really old. I would prefer to look at things and evaluate them NOT along party lines.
I am sort of like Rick. I hate both of the parties. I just hate the Republicans a little bit more. Operative words, little bit.
Hmmm… the government now wants to be able to ‘wiretap’ all online communications, what could go wrong?
http://www.startribune.com/nation/103836983.html
Why is stuff like this no big deal when a Dem does it but it is when a Republican does it? Nobody seems to care at all that not only did Obama keep just about all provisions of the Patriot Act but greatly expanded it. Hell, now he even wants the ability to tap into your email, IM’s, Facebook, you name it.
@hello
Why must you take every issue and turn it into an ‘us against them’ situation. I would have liked to discuss the wiretap issue, especially as it related to online stuff. However, if it is going going to be a dem/rep discussion I won’t bother. Stop shooting yourself in the foot, hello.
Geesh, many of the boys in high school today apparently don’t even know
how to keep their pants from falling half-way down. Sad.
OK, so the owner of the Segway company drives his Segway off a cliff and dies. God has a sense of humor!
@Big Dog
That is one style that has just been around way too long. Jailin’ pants.
Big Dog, I have no issue with those youth self-identifying themselves as persons to monitor in public or in a place of business. Also, with pants riding that low and no belts it means that they’re less likely to carry a handgun as retention would become an issue.
An interesting (opinion) link about the TP. The guy has it spot on.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/27/AR2010092702727.html?hpid=opinionsbox1
Now if only the owner/CEO fo GM would drive over a cliff.
http://blogs.forbes.com/kashmirhill/2010/09/27/law-enforcement-wants-to-be-able-to-tap-skype-facebook-and-blackberry-emails/?boxes=Homepagechannels
I know this isn’t getting a lot of mainstream press but depending on which side of the civil liberties fence you sit on.. As an IT/IS guy the subj URL has me more than a lil irked off.
Thank you Administration for kicking the 1st-5th Amendment to the recycle bin with regards to the cyber-landscape.
I guess I’m curious about “Waiting For Superman”.
I’m skeptical of anything done by the director of “An Inconvenient Truth”, because the global warming arguements are a fraud.
@Rick, I watched the town meeting. I don’t have an opinion. I think it most addresses inner city schools.
I don’t think any of us can discount global warming. How could man not have an impact on the earth? Why must either ‘side’ be right or wrong? I don’t think people want to deal with the fact that they are crapping up the planet. And I don’t give a good GD what Al Gore drives or doesn’t drive. Not talking about him. Talking about logic. Remember what Mt. St. Helen’s did to things? How about scientific evidence from Kracatoa? How about millions of chemicals being pumped into the atmosphere 24/7?
@marinm
Forget about OUR government….
When the ISP’s are required by law to be able to read any encrypted information, and foreign ISP’s are to have ISP’s in this country so as to fall under the US jurisdiction, China will be reading all of our encrypted commercial information. Or selling it.
What are the other implications?
Just got the lastest Forbes. The State of Virginia has a HUGE spread in it.
Beautiful, it is!
Watched the 9500 Liberty last night. Very interesting. I was immensely impressed with Elena’s statement at the Board of Supervisors meeting, where she said that she had held a fund raiser for Corey Stewart.
The facial expressions on Greg in certain situations gave away his smugness. Of course, the section when he goes religious is close to nauseating.
It was great to hear the folks standing up for the Chief of Police. Very heart warming.
We were all proud of Elena that night!
I was out last evening. Will there be a rebroadcast?
Emma, I emailed Eric:
MTV Tr3s is re-airing #9500Liberty Tuesday at noon ET & Friday at 10 pm ET. More air dates TBA.
What a sad tragedy out in Brentsville District — the sudden death of young Austin Trenum. Your heart really has to go out to that family and that school.
Thanks–will set my DVR this time so I can actually see the whole thing before I comment any further on it.
“How could man not have an impact on the earth?”
We do, but it’s much less an impact than the natural waxing and waning that takes place.
“Why must either ‘side’ be right or wrong? ”
Let’s be humble about bwhat we do or don’t know. Here’s the Newsweek story from 1975 where scientific experts told us that the Earth was cooling and that to keep our food supply healthy we might need to take steps to melt the polar ice caps.
“I don’t think people want to deal with the fact that they are crapping up the planet. ”
I used to feel that way – but I think an objective look at evidence and at people’s behavior will lead one to realize that much of the global warming talk is motivated by ascetism, i.e. the desire to punish ourselves for feeling too comfortable. Point of fact the Earth is in a natural warming cycle. And it’s astonishing how much “scientific” evidence is so clearly flawed, but promulgated as “evidence” by a cult-like group of hiughly invested scientists and activists whose buiness is “saving the world from global warming”.
For example, weather stations in China I think it was. They had hundreds and measured temperatures. At some point from budget cutbacks they cut out many in rural or isolated areas and kept the ones in urban areas. The temperatue is higher in cities than in less densely populated areas. So surprise surprise as they do this, “the temperatue of the Earth as measured by averaging weather stations in China” goes up. Examples like this abound; disinformation promulgated by people like Al Gore, who just flat-out lies with a straight face and makes a living doing it.
Sorry, here’s that old Newsweek story – http://denisdutton.com/cooling_world.htm
How can we be pumping toxins into the air, and some think it has nothing to do with anything? Reducing pollution has to have a positive effect on the earth. Look at the many polluted waterways that are around, and how much they have cleaned up during the past 10 years or so, when new regulations came into effect to prevent the dumping of toxins in the sewers and streams. Back then, all the companies said the dumping was not affecting the stream.
Wow. AAPL opened up at 292 and traded down to 275 the first minute of trade.
Recovering now, but that’s why you want to be careful with stuff like AAPL. The stock is a widowmaker.
I KNEW it! I KNEW she was a demon!!
http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/slideshow/photo//100916/ids_photos_wl/r2799749475.jpg/
@Slowpoke–that is just the picture achmanidic.#$%^&*( took to convince everyone he had to deal with the great satanic infidel. You know….Iran guy. Too lazy to look up how to spell his name. His name who will not be spelled.
@Cato–glad I missed seeing that. Fortunately I have had mine long enough that in the grand scheme of things, I can take it on the chin. Plus, I don’t own that much…to make me or break me. I give a new name to diversified. 🙄
Must be the new RIMM fake ipad combined with the much awaited correction I have been told was coming. I don’t care how healthy corrections are. I don’t like them!!!
@Wolverine
AMEN, Wolverine.
@Wolverine
It’s absolutely heart breaking. This is the second student that this year to die from that school. Those kids must be devastated.
@Moon-howler
It was high frequency induced nonsense, and looked every bit like the flash crash, which in a way is good since the weak hands just got shaken out. It’s back up at 289. Some back and fill sideways movement here would give us a better base for the next leg up.
Aapl was up during the night. I looked in the wee hours of morning just because it was there. I wonder what time the bottom fell out. Around 3 am it was at ..can’t remember now. I want to say 294 or thereabouts.
Glad it recovered and that I didn’t see it.
@Cato
Today is sure a roller coaster. I looked at my broker software a half hour ago and I was down a couple grand. BArf. I just looked again and all those red marks had turned green. Cheer! Well, almost all. Old apple is still chugging away. I think that is just RIMM and a little profit taking.
When does the new blackpad get released? It is significantly smaller than ipad. Dell’s model fell flat didn’t it?
@Moon-howler
RIMM releases their pad in Q1 2011, which says to me that it’s not going to be consumer focused. It does have a nice tie in to the blackberry devices which are so pervasive throughout the business community. We’ll see, but personally I don’t think RIMM will be around in another 3 years.
It says something about the strength of the market when the only opportunity to buy in is a one hour dip in the morning. Still looking for some consolidation though after this end of quarter manipulation is over.
Most of the other tablets are falling or have already fallen flat. I just don’t have any confidence that the android tablets are going to go anywhere in the mass market. The techy crowd is another story but that ain’t the mass market.
The RIMM pad…I dunno. Apple has been accumulating a huge amount of mindshare in the mass market and it’s definately “cooler” than the BB stuff. Depending on features, etc the BB pad could do something on the biz side but I think it’ll be a tall hill….
sit on your AAPL stock – high beta but I’m betting it’ll go north of $300…
My daughter who is an adult (not sure if that is important or not) has an android and she loves it. Can’t keep her hands off of it. I have an ipad and like it. But…I can’t see phones so an iphone and android just isn’t for me. I have an lg touch and that is hard enough to use.
An ipad is like having a big iphone for the blind other than it doesn’t make phone calls or take pictures.
@Andy, I think it might go to $300 by the end of the week. I paid $79 bucks a share for some of my apple. I think the highest I paid was like $125 a share. But I am watching when to dive off the cliff with it…but don’t anticipate doing it any time soon.
I should have dived with HP when they lost their ceo. grrrrrr
Btw, gold broke 1300 bucks. Wish I had money to buy it with….
Actually sales of android devices are outpacing iPhones/Pads. The price point on the iPad is still too high for a lot of people. It wouldn’t surprise me to see a $100 android tablet in WalMart by Christmas.
Would you buy now? @ Cargo?
@Cato, what do you think will happen to Android sales once iphone and Verizon hook up? That is supposedly happening right after the first of the year.
I gotta think about the android tablet. That thing is awfully small. Android tablet is more like a fancy phone. Ipad is more like a small laptop. Who says size doesn’t count.;)
I am going to be bold and suggest that adults will keep purchasing ipad and the archos 7 will be picked up by kids or their parents. I sure wouldn’t get an ipad for a kid. Too fragile. Archos looks a little more stomp proof.
It also didn’t get the greatest of reviews on Amazon.
However, the Blackberry playbook is reviewed by cnet.com
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20017803-1.html?tag=rb_content;carouselMain
@Moon-howler
Android will stil eat up market share, plus we’ve been hearing the AAPL – VZ rumors ever since the iPhone launched 🙂
Not saying that the people who make android tablets are going to make tons of money. The affluent will buy both or just the iPad, and the cheap android tablets will dominate the lower end of the market. The iPad is AAPLs highest margin product, and the people who dip into manufacturing android tablets are going to have to run thin margins because they’re selling them at less than half the cost of the iPad.
The biggest winner here is GOOG methinks as android penetration enables a massive platform for geolocation specific display advertisements.
Then there’s the argument of ipad vs kindle.
Kindle is great for sunlight…much better. The electronic books for Kindle are less expensive and the library is bigger. The kindle is lighter weight. As a reader, the Kindle seems to do more.
However, the e-ink reader is dark when the lights are low. I find myself grabbing the ipad after dark and just propping it up.
Oh, did I mention you can read your kindle on your computer. So far, I haven’t found a way to do i-books on my PC.
Bottom line: have both.
That’s the end of the geek report.
And Goog is recovering…
And not affluent here…just different priorities on things I must have. Kindle is pretty reasonably priced right now also. And you can survive with the one with wi-fi only if you don’t want to buy a book when you aren’t near wi-fi.
If I had to do without 3G on kindle or ipad, I would elect to not do it on Kindle.
I am trying to figure out why a person would need an archos and an ipad. Of course, I haven’t seen the archos. What does it do that ipad doesn’t do?
Android phones have the best commercials ever. Those wonderful droid hands….
Well I wouldn’t buy an Archos (waiting on the Samsung device – http://galaxytab.samsungmobile.com/) but I need java in a mobile device. I have an iPad too but I need something in tablet form with a friendler API and maintaining a jailbroken AAPL device is just too much of a pain so I’m looking forward to the first “real” android tablet.
I’d kill for an iPad that ran OS X
@Moon-howler
I wish I had bought when it was at $900. Today, European banks announced that they will stop selling gold.
I predict it will go much higher, so yes, in my very limited opinion, I would buy. Maybe I have a 401K somewhere that I forgot about….let me go look.
If I bought it the gold market would crash. You don’t want me buying. I have this curse.
LOL this is hilarious: http://www.zerohedge.com/article/pomo-completed-new-york-fed-injects-550-million-get-apple-amazon-and-netflix-back-unchanged
“The city council has manifest itself as arrogant, secretive, pedantic
idealogues driven by fear of what they do not know of the past
and by what they cannot vision for the future — the worst collection
of council members in the history of our city.”
Manassas? Manassas Park?
Nope — from an op/ed in the Falls Church News (9-16-2010) about
the government of that jurisdiction.
No shortage of challenges — or critics for any local government.
Odd, I hear bvbl.net got a bunch of weird email following the film 9500 Liberty. I don’t think anyone new came here. I called Alanna and she didn’t get any new traffic on antibvbl either.
I guess Greg is just more photogenic than Elena and Alanna.
Then BUY! BUY! I want to buy it a lower prices….
@cargosquid
Yea and I would be stuck with million dollar gold and you would get it at the fire sale price.
CAVEAT EMPTOR!