Hmmm... something else going on?

Stocks plunge; Dow has record drop, then recovers
By TIM PARADIS, AP Business Writer
6 May 2010
NEW YORK – The stock market had one of its most turbulent days in history as the Dow Jones industrials fell to a loss of almost 1,000 points in less than half an hour on fears that Greece's debt problems could halt the global economic recovery.

The market's plunge came less than 90 minutes before the end of trading. The Dow's drop was its largest loss ever during the course of a trading day, but it recovered to a loss of 347 at the close. All the major indexes lost more than 3 percent.

There were reports that the sudden drop was caused by a trader who mistyped an order to sell a large block of stock. The drop in that stock's price was enough to trigger "sell" orders across the market.
[emphasis added]

Hmmm... Rachel tonight reported that several stocks fell to $0/share... while others sky-rocketed (e.g., from ~$35/share to $100,000/share).

So far no one is talking about a cyber-attack on NYSE.
Why not? ... or am I just being paranoid???

Does this look like normal activity to you???

Nature news

World's biggest beaver dam discovered in northern Canada
by Michel Comte and Jacques Lemieux
– Wed May 5, 2010
OTTAWA (AFP) – A Canadian ecologist has discovered the world's largest beaver dam in a remote area of northern Alberta, an animal-made structure so large it is visible from space.

Researcher Jean Thie said Wednesday he used satellite imagery and Google Earth software to locate the dam, which is about 850 metres (2,800 feet) long on the southern edge of Wood Buffalo National Park

Buffoon welcomes a new follower

Kaybee.
Though she did comment

I don't know if I should read your blog if I'm going to get this angry.... jeez!!!

Well, nevertheless...Welcome to the neighborhood! Delighted to have you!!!

Oh, yeah: Happy Cinco de Mayo!

eBay currency index

Auggh!
The eBay item I was using to track USD/GBP conversion rate has been sold!

note 1:

Euro hits 14-month low vs dollar near $1.28

note 2:

Universal Currency Converter gives USD/GBP as 1.00 USD = 0.662346 GBP

Last time I checked my eBay index (9 Nov 2009), it was 1.000 USD = 0.602085666 GBP.

Thanks to TedTheCat for this

"bp: We're bringing oil to American shores."
Order info: DespairWear, $15.95.

It's not about them; it's about US!

From C&L:

McCain: Constitution shouldn't apply to brown US citizens
...
"Don't give this guy his Miranda rights until we find out what it's all about," McCain added.

Why don't Republicans recognize that the Bill of Rights isn't about the bad guys - it's about US! - It's OUR statement of what OUR legitimate government can and can't get away with.
It has nothing to do with the supposed badness of the accused, or the evil intent he harbored.
It has EVERYTHING to do with what we as citizens of an enlightened Republic expect of our government!

nope, this isn't from The Onion either

When I first saw this on FaceBook, I thought it was from The Onion.
Wrong again!

FOX News reports Mr. Rogers is evil

I seldom (never?) watch Fox News, and rely on KO & blogosphere to alert me to these items.

non-snark, non-political: if you've a few spare $$$

American Red Cross Responds to Historic Southern Floods
People can send a $10 donation to help those affected by disasters across the country by texting ‘REDCROSS’ to 90999
WASHINGTON, Monday, May 03, 2010 — The American Red Cross has opened more than two dozen shelters in response to a powerful weather system that generated tornadoes and caused severe flooding across the South.

As of Monday morning, the Red Cross and its partners had 28 shelters open across the South, including Mississippi, Kentucky and Tennessee. Tennessee was particularly hard hit, with some areas in the state receiving as much as a foot of rain, leading to numerous road closures and forcing evacuations. Nearly 1,000 Tennesseans stayed at a shelter on Sunday night.

"American Red Cross disaster relief services are free, a donated gift of the American people."

ARC Disaster Relief Fund.

Tell me about that infrastructure thing again

Boston works through 3rd day without drinking water
By Scott Malone and Ross Kerber Scott Malone And Ross Kerber
– Mon May 3, 2010
BOSTON (Reuters) – More than 2 million Boston area residents faced their third day without drinkable tap water on Monday, with many commuters having to start their workweek without their customary cup of coffee or tea.

Authorities said they had repaired a leak in a 10-foot (3 meter) pipe that had triggered the emergency, but told residents and businesses of Boston and most surrounding communities they should continue to boil water before drinking it.

...

The pipe in Weston, Massachusetts, a suburb about 15 miles west of Boston, burst on Saturday, initially pouring millions of gallons (liters) of potable water into the Charles River. Authorities drew on emergency water supplies, including local ponds, prompting the order to boil water.

Note: this was NOT the result of terrorist attack - just decaying, deteriorating BASIC infrastructure.
BORING infrastructure - a water main... that happened to supply Boston!

Roads, bridges, water mains, power lines & transformers... these aren't glamorous.
No politician is likely to want his name on a water main.
BUT: given a choice between a fancy, high-tech stealth fighter and a water main, I know where I'd put my $$$!

If you're into disaster movies...

TPM and HuffPost both have some pretty cool pix & vids of oil-rig disaster & ensuing oil spill.

HuffPost:

Oil Spill TRIPLED In Size In 3 Days (VIDEO)

TPM:

Fire In The Gulf: New Pictures Of The Deepwater Horizon

I'm betting there's $$$ to be made if you've got any brilliant - or even not so brilliant - ideas about how to deal with this mess.

The demi-god Greenspan

From HuffPost:

Greenspan Wanted Housing-Bubble Dissent Kept Secret
Ryan Grim
3 May 2010
As top Federal Reserve officials debated whether there was a housing bubble and what to do about it, then-Chairman Alan Greenspan argued that the dissent should be kept secret so that the Fed wouldn't lose control of the debate to people less well-informed than themselves.

"We run the risk, by laying out the pros and cons of a particular argument, of inducing people to join in on the debate, and in this regard it is possible to lose control of a process that only we fully understand," Greenspan said, according to the transcripts of a March 2004 meeting.
[emphasis added]

Can you say hubris???... and DANGEROUS hubris to boot: yes - let's restrict debate to the folks in this room - it woud be a bad thing to let any other ideas or opinions influence our unquestioning and unquestioned superhuman understanding.

Treatises have been written about this phenomenon - it's called GroupThink.
It is ALWAYS dangerous, and frequently disastrous (see, e.g., Bay of Pigs).

Note to policy-makers: if your boss EVER suggests stifling debate because only YOU are sufficiently well-informed to hold a valid opinion... well, that's when it's time to run to your nearest friendly reporter - even if you risk 'compromising' national security.
[I put 'compromising' in quotes because in reality it's the GroupThink bunker mentality that is the real threat to national security, NOT open debate!]

Snide aside: I don't think the demigod Greenspan knows what the term "fully understand" really means!

Hmmm... just wondering

Oil spills DO happen.
No - they're not daily events, but the risk is huge (risk = probability x $$$).
... so, why haven't oil companies invested in research to deal with oil spills???
As far as I can tell, the same technologies are used today as were being used 30 years ago.

not cast... sigh [addendum]

Hi Tillery will be Charlemagne in Landmark Musicals upcoming production of Pippin. 9 July - 1 Aug.
Info: 505-453-8844

addendum: i ought to find a different hobby. this acting thing pretty much requires rejection more than 50% of the time...

"Pippin" audition today...

I sang "O, Isis und Osiris" from The Magic Flute... in German.

It worked. I got a call-back... for Charlemagne.
[note: I sang the song considerably faster than the YouTube!]

The call-back song is "War is a Science":

The lyrics feature this quite appropriate sentiment:

And if the fates feel frivolous
And all our plans they smother
Well suppose this war does shrivel us
There'll always be another!

It's a wonder Republicans reproduce!

From Think Progress:

Cuccinelli channels John Ashcroft, censors Roman goddess’ clothing on the Virginia seal.
The seal depicts the Roman goddess Virtus, or virtue, wearing a blue tunic draped over one shoulder, her left breast exposed. But on the new lapel pins Cuccinelli recently handed out to his staff, Virtus’ bosom is covered by an armored breastplate.

Here's the extremely realistic, life-like image in question:


I note that a Republican DA in Wisconsin recently...

In a thinly-veiled threat, a Wisconsin District Attorney warned school administrators and teachers that teaching comprehensive sex education — required by state law — could lead to their prosecution.

Earlier this year, the Wisconsin legislature passed a law requiring any public schools teaching sex education to provide comprehensive sex ed; that is, they must include information about contraception and disease prevention in case a teen decides to become (or already is) sexually active.

Juneau County District Attorney Scott Southworth, an evangelical Christian, took offense at this requirement. He sent a letter to school districts in his county recommending that they withdraw from the entire human development curriculum, explaining that teachers who give specific information about the use of contraceptives to students while knowing that the students are sexually active can be criminally prosecuted for contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The school districts could also have civil liability.

What's with the GOP and sex???

Now, if we could just get 'em to dive in!

Lawyers flock to Gulf Coast for oil spill lawsuits

Why aren't lawyers an endangered species? I mean, they're "flocking" the Gulf Coast... couldn't we convince 'em to jump into the oil?

... just being snarky

Yesterday:

Deadly tornadoes strike Arkansas

Today:

Officials: At least 5 dead in Tenn. flooding

... and again today:

Gulf oil spill swiftly balloons, could move east

I note that the states in question are all in what was once known as the Bible Belt.

Has the Reverend Robertson been paying attention?
Has he any explanation for G-d's wrath? - particularly, G-d's wrath visited upon these staunchly Baptist states???

Meanwhile, Dover, Pennsylvania - they who "rejected" G-d from their city - have yet to be visited by a natural disaster.

[hmmm... maybe G-d is upset with Arkansas, Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi, & Alabama because they all voted for McCain in 2008. If this be the case, Florida ought be spared from oil-spill disaster. (note: this is a testable hypothesis!)]

A sense of doom...

Gulf oil spill swiftly balloons, could move east
By ALLEN G. BREED and SETH BORENSTEIN, Associated Press Writers
1 May 2010
VENICE, La. – A sense of doom settled over the American coastline from Louisiana to Florida on Saturday as a massive oil slick spewing from a ruptured well kept growing, and experts warned that an uncontrolled gusher could create a nightmare scenario if the Gulf Stream carries it toward the Atlantic.

Yes - this event may result in us as a nation re-thinking our energy policy... for all the wrong reasons.

Still, re-thinking our energy policy for ANY reason doesn't sound too bad.

I missed the Kentucky Derby

Darn!