Friday, July 31, 2009
Annie Lennox mashup "Backward/Forwards" by DJ Earworm
Normally, I think mashups go off in some weird direction and I end up not liking them, but this one's really good. Check it out.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
According to a recent poll most polls are total bullshit
Why are polls constantly being taken?
Does someone just invent a topic and pull results out of one's ass?
If you want to know something interesting, I saw one poll recently where 95% of the people polled have never been polled before?
What does that say about polling?
Does someone just invent a topic and pull results out of one's ass?
If you want to know something interesting, I saw one poll recently where 95% of the people polled have never been polled before?
What does that say about polling?
Florida's Hydroponic Pot: House-Grown and Super-Potent
Here's a TIME Magazine propaganda article By CARMEN GENTILE / MIAMI
California may be the center of the marijuana trade and the controversies over its legalization. But Florida has surpassed it in one important category: the Sunshine State is now the country's leader in indoor marijuana cultivation. It is a potent distinction because most of the marijuana grown this way is cultured hydroponically - that is, mostly without soil and with a carefully calibrated cocktail of chemicals and lighting - to create some of the highest level of highs on the market.
In 2006, Florida law enforcement here discovered 480 homes growing marijuana indoors. Last year, 1,022 grow houses were busted. "This isn't your grandma's marijuana," quipped a Miami-Dade narcotics officer at one bust as he tossed garbage bags stuffed with confiscated marijuana into an unmarked police truck. Levels of THC - the agent in marijuana that produces feelings of euphoria, and in some users mild hallucinations and paranoia - have risen dramatically because of indoor techniques. Thirty years ago, most marijuana contained about 7% THC. Today, indoor growers boast THC levels of 25% or higher thanks to the additional care that indoor plants receive. (See pictures of 4/20, the unofficial pot holiday.)
Indoors, high-powered lights that stimulate growth can remain on all day, their nourishing rays reflected off the metallic-coated paper covering walls. The chemical fertilizers used are just as powerful and nourishing, spawning fast-growing plants that produce more THC than those raised outdoors. (See pictures of America's cannabis culture.)
TIME accompanied undercover agents on a recent bust on a quiet street of a working-class Miami suburb. As soon as the agents enter the front door, they know they've acted on a good tip. The pungent smell of plant life fills the air. The ceiling of the master bedroom is a constellation of high-powered lightbulbs emitting a nourishing glow onto what officers estimate is more than 100 lb. of particularly potent marijuana plants with a street value upwards of $800,000. (See pictures of stoner cinema.)
While most of the marijuana is freshly cut and drying on a clothesline stretched across the room, pots of smaller plants still months away from maturing line the walls. An irrigation system supplies water and chemical fertilizers to the plants via a hose that runs into the adjacent bathroom, where the toxic brew used to accelerate plants' growth is dumped down a drain.
On the Florida market, a pound of indoor grown marijuana goes for upwards of $4,000. But in the Northeast, the best market for Florida growers, the same marijuana goes for about $8,000 a pound. Unlike their closest regional rivals, Florida growers can produce up to four crops annually.
"These operations are mushrooming all over the state of Florida," says State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle for Miami-Dade County, the de facto capital of the state's indoor pot industry. Taking these operations down is dangerous work. Some growers stockpile automatic weapons to protect themselves - and to fend off thieves who are after the valuable crop. (Watch TIME's video "Medical Marijuana Home Delivery.")
Miami Police Major Charles Nanney says informants played a crucial role in the success of a statewide crackdown in June that resulted in the seizure of 6,828 marijuana plants and 120 residential marijuana labs over the course of a few days. Among the best tipsters, they say, are electricians paid big money by growers to wire the sophisticated network of lights and air conditioners used to cool plants and subject them to round-the-clock illumination. The energy-chugging networks require an expert's touch to bypass the electric meter and tap straight into the grid. A sharp increase in electricity used to be a telltale sign of a grow house. Some growers have caught on, however, and are learning to mask their energy profile.
Money-laundering is an attendant crime. But so is trafficking in undocumented migrant workers. A single marijuana growing operation can consist of a dozen homes or more, requiring many hands to tend to the plants. And when arrests are made, those taken in are often neither the homeowner nor the person named on the lease. The actual operators usually elude capture. Still, workers are lured by the promise of a piece of the profits and rent-free living, sometimes raising children among the deadly high-voltage lights and other potential life-threatening apparatuses associated with indoor marijuana. (Read "Is Marijuana the Answer to California's Budget Woes?")
The state's real estate catastrophe contributes to the problem as well. Captain Joe Mendez from the South Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), says operators flush with cash are attracted to the abundance of cheap homes in Florida, particularly in Miami-Dade, which leads the state in foreclosures. While Florida's legitimate economy continues to flail, the HIDTA captain says indoor marijuana is thriving even though law enforcement is arresting more people every year. Says Mendez: "If the economic downturn remains as it is, I don't see any light at the end of the tunnel."
^^^^^^^^^
^^^^^OK, that's the article ^^^^^^^
I just copied and pasted it.
There's a couple of things wrong with this piece that I'd like to go over.
First, notice the attitude of this writer—very calculating, right? The tone is "We are doing our best to fight this menace," but notice it doesn't give a good an explanation as to why? They say...a person gets euphoric [that's not a bad thing] It also says maybe they hallucinate and maybe they get a little paranoid?
Smoking cigarettes literally kills you. It takes decades off your lifespan. That's a fact. Yet, smoking cigarettes is legal. With that in mind, how does a little hallucination and paranoia require the U.S. Government to spend billions to stop responsible adults from doing it?
Moreover, as someone who smoke for the 1st time when I was 12 years old, and has smoked pot on and off for my entire life, I can honestly—marijuana does not make a person hallucinate or paranoid.
So, when I read this article and I'm informed that Florida is now the indoor pot capital, my thoughts are, "that's awesome" More competition leads to lower cost, but if you notice her tone, somehow this is a bad thing.
Obviously, if she's writing for TIME she's got maintain the government's "official" theme because TIME magazine is a government propaganda agent. So, has to maintain the government party line, which is "pot is a public menace, but us government officials are tirelessly working with your tax dollars to fight this evil." Doesn't this get old?
The article goes on to say that electricians are now informants, which I think sucks...Americans spying on Americans? Are we now living in Communist East Germany where everyone is on the secret police payroll?
And I think this line is hilarious too "raising children among the deadly high-voltage lights." Are these children retarded? Are they sticking paperclips in light sockets? Yes, electricity is dangerous, but the way this sentence is phrased it sounds like kids are playing with matches in a gasoline factory.
For me, this article doesn't do anything except outline the fact that our government is still pursuing a needless policy of trying to stop grown adults from doing something they feel is going to bring them happiness and relieve stress.
Shame on you TIME!
California may be the center of the marijuana trade and the controversies over its legalization. But Florida has surpassed it in one important category: the Sunshine State is now the country's leader in indoor marijuana cultivation. It is a potent distinction because most of the marijuana grown this way is cultured hydroponically - that is, mostly without soil and with a carefully calibrated cocktail of chemicals and lighting - to create some of the highest level of highs on the market.
In 2006, Florida law enforcement here discovered 480 homes growing marijuana indoors. Last year, 1,022 grow houses were busted. "This isn't your grandma's marijuana," quipped a Miami-Dade narcotics officer at one bust as he tossed garbage bags stuffed with confiscated marijuana into an unmarked police truck. Levels of THC - the agent in marijuana that produces feelings of euphoria, and in some users mild hallucinations and paranoia - have risen dramatically because of indoor techniques. Thirty years ago, most marijuana contained about 7% THC. Today, indoor growers boast THC levels of 25% or higher thanks to the additional care that indoor plants receive. (See pictures of 4/20, the unofficial pot holiday.)
Indoors, high-powered lights that stimulate growth can remain on all day, their nourishing rays reflected off the metallic-coated paper covering walls. The chemical fertilizers used are just as powerful and nourishing, spawning fast-growing plants that produce more THC than those raised outdoors. (See pictures of America's cannabis culture.)
TIME accompanied undercover agents on a recent bust on a quiet street of a working-class Miami suburb. As soon as the agents enter the front door, they know they've acted on a good tip. The pungent smell of plant life fills the air. The ceiling of the master bedroom is a constellation of high-powered lightbulbs emitting a nourishing glow onto what officers estimate is more than 100 lb. of particularly potent marijuana plants with a street value upwards of $800,000. (See pictures of stoner cinema.)
While most of the marijuana is freshly cut and drying on a clothesline stretched across the room, pots of smaller plants still months away from maturing line the walls. An irrigation system supplies water and chemical fertilizers to the plants via a hose that runs into the adjacent bathroom, where the toxic brew used to accelerate plants' growth is dumped down a drain.
On the Florida market, a pound of indoor grown marijuana goes for upwards of $4,000. But in the Northeast, the best market for Florida growers, the same marijuana goes for about $8,000 a pound. Unlike their closest regional rivals, Florida growers can produce up to four crops annually.
"These operations are mushrooming all over the state of Florida," says State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle for Miami-Dade County, the de facto capital of the state's indoor pot industry. Taking these operations down is dangerous work. Some growers stockpile automatic weapons to protect themselves - and to fend off thieves who are after the valuable crop. (Watch TIME's video "Medical Marijuana Home Delivery.")
Miami Police Major Charles Nanney says informants played a crucial role in the success of a statewide crackdown in June that resulted in the seizure of 6,828 marijuana plants and 120 residential marijuana labs over the course of a few days. Among the best tipsters, they say, are electricians paid big money by growers to wire the sophisticated network of lights and air conditioners used to cool plants and subject them to round-the-clock illumination. The energy-chugging networks require an expert's touch to bypass the electric meter and tap straight into the grid. A sharp increase in electricity used to be a telltale sign of a grow house. Some growers have caught on, however, and are learning to mask their energy profile.
Money-laundering is an attendant crime. But so is trafficking in undocumented migrant workers. A single marijuana growing operation can consist of a dozen homes or more, requiring many hands to tend to the plants. And when arrests are made, those taken in are often neither the homeowner nor the person named on the lease. The actual operators usually elude capture. Still, workers are lured by the promise of a piece of the profits and rent-free living, sometimes raising children among the deadly high-voltage lights and other potential life-threatening apparatuses associated with indoor marijuana. (Read "Is Marijuana the Answer to California's Budget Woes?")
The state's real estate catastrophe contributes to the problem as well. Captain Joe Mendez from the South Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), says operators flush with cash are attracted to the abundance of cheap homes in Florida, particularly in Miami-Dade, which leads the state in foreclosures. While Florida's legitimate economy continues to flail, the HIDTA captain says indoor marijuana is thriving even though law enforcement is arresting more people every year. Says Mendez: "If the economic downturn remains as it is, I don't see any light at the end of the tunnel."
^^^^^^^^^
^^^^^OK, that's the article ^^^^^^^
I just copied and pasted it.
There's a couple of things wrong with this piece that I'd like to go over.
First, notice the attitude of this writer—very calculating, right? The tone is "We are doing our best to fight this menace," but notice it doesn't give a good an explanation as to why? They say...a person gets euphoric [that's not a bad thing] It also says maybe they hallucinate and maybe they get a little paranoid?
Smoking cigarettes literally kills you. It takes decades off your lifespan. That's a fact. Yet, smoking cigarettes is legal. With that in mind, how does a little hallucination and paranoia require the U.S. Government to spend billions to stop responsible adults from doing it?
Moreover, as someone who smoke for the 1st time when I was 12 years old, and has smoked pot on and off for my entire life, I can honestly—marijuana does not make a person hallucinate or paranoid.
So, when I read this article and I'm informed that Florida is now the indoor pot capital, my thoughts are, "that's awesome" More competition leads to lower cost, but if you notice her tone, somehow this is a bad thing.
Obviously, if she's writing for TIME she's got maintain the government's "official" theme because TIME magazine is a government propaganda agent. So, has to maintain the government party line, which is "pot is a public menace, but us government officials are tirelessly working with your tax dollars to fight this evil." Doesn't this get old?
The article goes on to say that electricians are now informants, which I think sucks...Americans spying on Americans? Are we now living in Communist East Germany where everyone is on the secret police payroll?
And I think this line is hilarious too "raising children among the deadly high-voltage lights." Are these children retarded? Are they sticking paperclips in light sockets? Yes, electricity is dangerous, but the way this sentence is phrased it sounds like kids are playing with matches in a gasoline factory.
For me, this article doesn't do anything except outline the fact that our government is still pursuing a needless policy of trying to stop grown adults from doing something they feel is going to bring them happiness and relieve stress.
Shame on you TIME!
Radiohead "Ceremony"
I posted the New Order version earlier, but here's the Radiohead's anyway. It's not too shabby.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Matt Taibbi from Rolling Stone explains how the financial crisis happened
Finally, a journalist puts the causes of this financial mess into clear easy to understand language.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
The Neocon Viewpoint Is Now Kristol Clear
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Bill Kristol | ||||
| ||||
Stewart: Why no health care, Why no health care reform for Americans because the military fighting for us, gave it up. Why do you hate America?
Stewart: Why not? Why shouldn't the government provide some sort of care to the 50 million that are uninsured?
Kristol: No, well the military has a different health system than the rest of Americans.
Stewart: It's a public system, no?
Kristol: Yea, they don't have an option they're all in the military.
Stewart: Why don't we go with that?
Kristol: (Stupid look comes across his face.) I don't know. Is military health care what you really...first of all it's really expensive, they deserve it, the military...
Stewart: But people in public do not?
Kristol: No, the American public do not deserve the same...
Stewart: Are you saying Americans shouldn't have access to the same plan health care that we give the soldiers?
Kristol: Yes, to our soldiers? Absolutely.
Stewart: Really?
Kristol: I think the one thing if you become a soldier...
Stewart: So you just said, Bill Kristol just said that the government can run a first class health care system.
Kristol: Sure it can.
Stewart: A government run health care system is better than the private health care system. You just said that...
Kristol: I don't know if it's better.
Stewart: No, you just said it was better.
Kristol: I didn't say it was better all around.
Stewart: No, you said it was better. You said it's the best, it's a little more expensive, but it's better. I just want to write this down. The government runs the best health care...
Stewart: I understand that so what you are suggesting is that the government could run the best health care system for Americans, but it's a little too costly so we should have the shitty insurance companies health care.
Kristol: I'm suggesting our soldiers deserve better health care...
Stewart: They deserve the best. They have the best government run health care money can buy.
My 2 cents:
All I can say is, "Wow!"
So, this is what it all boils down to—assholes like him in our government choosing who's deserving and who's not!
They've made the decision for us that they can steal trillions our tax dollars to pursue unprovoked wars of aggression, bailouts, and whatever else they pull out there ass.
And We the People are just tax paying slaves who are basically being pimped.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Pete Rose
Anyone who's spent time perusing a sports almanac can tell you that Pete Rose may have bet on baseball, but it's crystal clear, the guy never bet against himself—the guys stats are amazing, and it's obvious, he's got the stats to prove he played his heart out every game more so than these steroid pumped divas making $20 million a year.
Seriously, when Pete Rose played the game, he played the game, and in at least one way, he revolutionized baseball. He took the Cincinnatti Red to three Series titles. (Most people have forgot Cincinnati even has a team)
He's a hall-of-famer—end of story.
Here's a little excerpt from Wikipedia to give you an idea:
"Rose played from 1963 to 1986, best known for his many years with the Cincinnati Reds. Rose, a switch hitter, is the all-time Major League leader in hits (4,256), games played (3,562), at-bats (14,053)[1], and outs (10,328). He won three World Series rings, three batting titles, one Most Valuable Player Award, two Gold Gloves, the Rookie of the Year Award, and made 17 All-Star appearances at an unequaled five different positions (2B, LF, RF, 3B, and 1B).
Rose's nickname, "Charlie Hustle", was given to him for his unique playing style. Even when being walked, Rose would sprint to first base, instead of the traditional trot to the base. Rose was known for sliding headfirst into a base, his signature move. This method is now used almost exclusively by stealing base runners today, and has been ever since the late '70s.
In August 1989, three years after he retired as an active player, Rose agreed to permanent ineligibility from baseball amidst accusations that he gambled on baseball games while playing for and managing the Reds; some accusations claimed that he bet on the Reds. In 2004, after years of public denial, he admitted to betting on baseball and on, but not against, the Reds.[2] After Rose's ban was instated, the Baseball Hall of Fame formally voted to ban those on the "permanently ineligible" list from induction. Previously, those who were banned had been excluded by informal agreement among voters. The issue of Rose's possible re-instatement and election to the Hall of Fame remains a contentious one throughout baseball."
So, here's my take, if any of these steroid pumped douchebags make it into the hall of fame, and there's probably about 50 players, who are going to make it—Pete Rose should be in the Hall of Fame, and he should be in the hall of fame without an asterisk.
Seriously, when Pete Rose played the game, he played the game, and in at least one way, he revolutionized baseball. He took the Cincinnatti Red to three Series titles. (Most people have forgot Cincinnati even has a team)
He's a hall-of-famer—end of story.
Here's a little excerpt from Wikipedia to give you an idea:
"Rose played from 1963 to 1986, best known for his many years with the Cincinnati Reds. Rose, a switch hitter, is the all-time Major League leader in hits (4,256), games played (3,562), at-bats (14,053)[1], and outs (10,328). He won three World Series rings, three batting titles, one Most Valuable Player Award, two Gold Gloves, the Rookie of the Year Award, and made 17 All-Star appearances at an unequaled five different positions (2B, LF, RF, 3B, and 1B).
Rose's nickname, "Charlie Hustle", was given to him for his unique playing style. Even when being walked, Rose would sprint to first base, instead of the traditional trot to the base. Rose was known for sliding headfirst into a base, his signature move. This method is now used almost exclusively by stealing base runners today, and has been ever since the late '70s.
In August 1989, three years after he retired as an active player, Rose agreed to permanent ineligibility from baseball amidst accusations that he gambled on baseball games while playing for and managing the Reds; some accusations claimed that he bet on the Reds. In 2004, after years of public denial, he admitted to betting on baseball and on, but not against, the Reds.[2] After Rose's ban was instated, the Baseball Hall of Fame formally voted to ban those on the "permanently ineligible" list from induction. Previously, those who were banned had been excluded by informal agreement among voters. The issue of Rose's possible re-instatement and election to the Hall of Fame remains a contentious one throughout baseball."
So, here's my take, if any of these steroid pumped douchebags make it into the hall of fame, and there's probably about 50 players, who are going to make it—Pete Rose should be in the Hall of Fame, and he should be in the hall of fame without an asterisk.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
Mercury Contamination Found in High Fructose Corn Syrup
Friday, July 17, 2009 by: Sheryl Walters, citizen journalist
(NaturalNews) High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) accounts for the largest amount of calories in the average American diet. It can be found in processed foods of almost every kind - soda, bread, breakfast bars, processed dairy, crackers, soup, condiments, and others. The U.S. first began using HFCS heavily in the 1970's as an inexpensive alternative to sugar when sugar prices skyrocketed. It quickly became the most commonly used sweetener and today is found in almost all processed foods. Americans consume about twelve teaspoons of HFCS on average per day.
Recently HFCS has come under scrutiny because of its possible link to health conditions such as diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome, increased triglycerides, increased LDL cholesterol, and liver disease. Fructose is hard for the body to metabolize, converts to fat more than other sugars, and contains no enzymes, vitamins, or minerals. In fact, fructose actually uses vital compounds from the body to be metabolized so it is actually robbing the body of its necessary micronutrients.
In addition to these detrimental effects on health it has been recently reported that there are high levels of mercury in high fructose corn syrup. Mercury is a toxin and is especially harmful to the nervous system. Mercury is found in the air we breathe, contaminated fish, and dental fillings. Fetuses, infants, and children are the most sensitive to mercury. High mercury exposure during these critical times can cause brain damage, deafness, learning disabilities, and even death. Mercury toxicity in adults can cause weakness, blurred vision, change in personality, cardiomyopathies, slowed mental response, and many other conditions.
A study was recently done to see if HFCS contains mercury. The results published in the Journal Environmental Health in January 2009 showed that almost 50% of tested food products containing HFCS were contaminated with mercury. Given the high consumption rate of HFCS in the U.S. this mercury contamination is a source not previously considered. The mercury gets into the HFCS through its production process. The making of HFCS involves separating the corn starch from the corn kernel using caustic soda. For many years the production of caustic soda has involved the use of mercury cells. This mercury use can cause contamination of the caustic soda which in turn contaminates the HFCS that goes into snack foods, beverages, dressings, condiments, and many other foods.
Unfortunately as consumers it is impossible to know which foods contain mercury-contaminated HFCS. Avoidance of HFCS due to its detrimental effects on health as well as its possible mercury contamination is essential.
(NaturalNews) High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) accounts for the largest amount of calories in the average American diet. It can be found in processed foods of almost every kind - soda, bread, breakfast bars, processed dairy, crackers, soup, condiments, and others. The U.S. first began using HFCS heavily in the 1970's as an inexpensive alternative to sugar when sugar prices skyrocketed. It quickly became the most commonly used sweetener and today is found in almost all processed foods. Americans consume about twelve teaspoons of HFCS on average per day.
Recently HFCS has come under scrutiny because of its possible link to health conditions such as diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome, increased triglycerides, increased LDL cholesterol, and liver disease. Fructose is hard for the body to metabolize, converts to fat more than other sugars, and contains no enzymes, vitamins, or minerals. In fact, fructose actually uses vital compounds from the body to be metabolized so it is actually robbing the body of its necessary micronutrients.
In addition to these detrimental effects on health it has been recently reported that there are high levels of mercury in high fructose corn syrup. Mercury is a toxin and is especially harmful to the nervous system. Mercury is found in the air we breathe, contaminated fish, and dental fillings. Fetuses, infants, and children are the most sensitive to mercury. High mercury exposure during these critical times can cause brain damage, deafness, learning disabilities, and even death. Mercury toxicity in adults can cause weakness, blurred vision, change in personality, cardiomyopathies, slowed mental response, and many other conditions.
A study was recently done to see if HFCS contains mercury. The results published in the Journal Environmental Health in January 2009 showed that almost 50% of tested food products containing HFCS were contaminated with mercury. Given the high consumption rate of HFCS in the U.S. this mercury contamination is a source not previously considered. The mercury gets into the HFCS through its production process. The making of HFCS involves separating the corn starch from the corn kernel using caustic soda. For many years the production of caustic soda has involved the use of mercury cells. This mercury use can cause contamination of the caustic soda which in turn contaminates the HFCS that goes into snack foods, beverages, dressings, condiments, and many other foods.
Unfortunately as consumers it is impossible to know which foods contain mercury-contaminated HFCS. Avoidance of HFCS due to its detrimental effects on health as well as its possible mercury contamination is essential.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Chalk One Up For The Oldtimers
Did you catch any of the British Open this weekend?
How inspiring was the 59 year old Tom Watson's performance? It's not often you see something that magnificent.
These past 4 days proved, it's never too late to do something wonderful with your life.
Way to go Tom. You accomplished something really special.
How inspiring was the 59 year old Tom Watson's performance? It's not often you see something that magnificent.
These past 4 days proved, it's never too late to do something wonderful with your life.
Way to go Tom. You accomplished something really special.
FBI arrests former Goldman Sachs programmer on software-theft charge
by Judy Peet/The Star-Ledger
Monday July 06, 2009, 12:01 PM
A Russian-born computer programmer from North Caldwell was arrested by the FBI at Newark Liberty International Airport and charged with trade-secret theft, authorities said.
Sergey Aleynikov, 39, a former software designer for Goldman Sachs, posted 10 percent of his $750,000 bail and was released from a Manhattan jail this afternoon. He is charged with downloading propriety software from his former employer and sending secret codes to a web account in Germany, authorities said.
Aleynikov was arrested as he arrived in Newark Friday night on a flight from Chicago, He went before a federal judge in New York on Saturday.
The FBI affidavit stated that on four occasions since June 1, he used his personal passwords to download 32 megabytes of data from the Goldman Sachs servers in New Jersey.
Aleynikov resigned his job June. 5.
He told his former Goldman Sachs supervisor that he had a job with a Chicago company that also engaged in high-volume automated trading, authorities said. He said the job paid approximately three times more than he made at Goldman Sachs.
The downloads contained a program that uses "sophisticated mathematical formulas to place automated trades in the market," the FBI affidavit said. Those trades typically generate "many millions of dollars" each year.
An internal review by Goldman Sachs alleges that Aleynikov's work desktop was used at least four times after hours between June 1 and June 5 to transfer company information to the Germany-based website, the FBI said.
At the time of his arrest Aleynikov told the FBI that he had copied and encrypted files from his former employer. He claimed, however, that he only intended to collected "open source" files on which he had worked.
He said he later realized he "obtained more files than he intended." He claimed he abided by the confidentiality agreement he signed with Goldman Sachs, investigators said, and did not distribute any of the propriety software.
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/07/fbi_arrests_former_goldman_sac.html
Monday July 06, 2009, 12:01 PM
A Russian-born computer programmer from North Caldwell was arrested by the FBI at Newark Liberty International Airport and charged with trade-secret theft, authorities said.
Sergey Aleynikov, 39, a former software designer for Goldman Sachs, posted 10 percent of his $750,000 bail and was released from a Manhattan jail this afternoon. He is charged with downloading propriety software from his former employer and sending secret codes to a web account in Germany, authorities said.
Aleynikov was arrested as he arrived in Newark Friday night on a flight from Chicago, He went before a federal judge in New York on Saturday.
The FBI affidavit stated that on four occasions since June 1, he used his personal passwords to download 32 megabytes of data from the Goldman Sachs servers in New Jersey.
Aleynikov resigned his job June. 5.
He told his former Goldman Sachs supervisor that he had a job with a Chicago company that also engaged in high-volume automated trading, authorities said. He said the job paid approximately three times more than he made at Goldman Sachs.
The downloads contained a program that uses "sophisticated mathematical formulas to place automated trades in the market," the FBI affidavit said. Those trades typically generate "many millions of dollars" each year.
An internal review by Goldman Sachs alleges that Aleynikov's work desktop was used at least four times after hours between June 1 and June 5 to transfer company information to the Germany-based website, the FBI said.
At the time of his arrest Aleynikov told the FBI that he had copied and encrypted files from his former employer. He claimed, however, that he only intended to collected "open source" files on which he had worked.
He said he later realized he "obtained more files than he intended." He claimed he abided by the confidentiality agreement he signed with Goldman Sachs, investigators said, and did not distribute any of the propriety software.
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/07/fbi_arrests_former_goldman_sac.html
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Alan Grayson on the Worst Deal Since Manhattan Was Sold for $24 in Trinkets
If NBC, CBS, ABC, and FOX news were worth a damn, this would be on every single night until this deal was undone, which would mean CITI gets broken up and sold off—BECAUSE THEY WERE DOING SOMETHING THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE DOING IN THE 1ST PLACE.
These guys are the biggest shysters I've ever seen, and the U.S. Government and the Federal Reserve is in bed with them.
And our illustrious "FREE PRESS" keeps their mouths shut while the American people are getting fucked by these criminals at CITI.
I am sick of it!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
I walked 9 and shot a 38...
Which tied the lowest 9 hole score I've ever shot.
It's not saying much considering most pros would look at the back nine on the Presidents course as a par 3 course. Nonetheless, 38 is 2 over par through nine holes, and that's something I've done only one other time.
I had 4 bogies, 3 pars, and 2 birdies.
All 3 pars had birdie putts that grazed the edge of the cup.
The bogies were holes where I made some classic simple mistakes.
In all, it was fun.
It's getting to a point where I can see my mistakes and correct them, and I believe pretty soon I will writing about how I broke par on 9 holes. At least, that's been my dream ever since I first picked up a golf club.
One other thing I've realized is the power of the positive attitude. Without a positive attitude, you can't gain momentum. Momentum is the key to getting on a role of tying together a string of pars. I've notice on shots that I normally consider complete disasters, when I kept my composure and fully concentrated on the best approach to the next shot, my next shot usually has a better outcome. Saving bogie with a 10 foot putt is equally as thrilling as making birdie with a 10 foot putt. It's all a matter of attitude.
It's not saying much considering most pros would look at the back nine on the Presidents course as a par 3 course. Nonetheless, 38 is 2 over par through nine holes, and that's something I've done only one other time.
I had 4 bogies, 3 pars, and 2 birdies.
All 3 pars had birdie putts that grazed the edge of the cup.
The bogies were holes where I made some classic simple mistakes.
In all, it was fun.
It's getting to a point where I can see my mistakes and correct them, and I believe pretty soon I will writing about how I broke par on 9 holes. At least, that's been my dream ever since I first picked up a golf club.
One other thing I've realized is the power of the positive attitude. Without a positive attitude, you can't gain momentum. Momentum is the key to getting on a role of tying together a string of pars. I've notice on shots that I normally consider complete disasters, when I kept my composure and fully concentrated on the best approach to the next shot, my next shot usually has a better outcome. Saving bogie with a 10 foot putt is equally as thrilling as making birdie with a 10 foot putt. It's all a matter of attitude.
'Government' Sachs strikes gold...again
Connect the dots: Goldman Sachs made $3.44 billion in profit this past quarter, while the US deficit topped $1 trillion for the first time in the nation’s history and appeared to be headed toward doubling that figure before the budget year is out. Since most of the increase in the federal deficit is due to bailing out the banks and salvaging the greater economy they helped destroy, why is the top investment bank doing so well?
Well, because that was the plan, as devised by Bush Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, a former CEO of Goldman Sachs. Remember that Lehman Brothers, Goldman’s competitor, was allowed to go bankrupt. The Paulson crowd wouldn’t let Lehman change its status to that of a bank holding company and thus qualify for federal funds; soon afterward, Goldman was granted just such a deal, worth a quick $10 billion. Much is now made of Goldman paying back part of its bailout money, but forgotten is the $12.9 billion that Goldman got as its cut of the $180 billion AIG payoff. That is money that will not be paid back.
Goldman is considered a very smart bank because it was early in reducing its exposure to the mortgage derivatives [presumably because they have the ultimate inside information] that in large part caused the meltdown. However, it had done much to expand the market and continued to sell suspect derivatives to unwary buyers as sound investments, even as Goldman divested. The firm still holds $1.85 billion in real estate and lost $499 million in the previous quarter on bad loans, but made up for it by playing the vulture role and issuing high-interest debt to governments and companies made desperate by the recession that the financial gimmicks of the banks brought on in the first place.
And Goldman was not just another bank. Before Paulson ran the Treasury Department, another former Goldman head, Robert Rubin, pushed through the repeal of the Glass-Steagall controls on banking activity. While some now play down the significance of this radical deregulation, not so Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd C. Blankfein–at least not back in June 2007, when the markets were still doing well. “If you take an historical perspective,” Blankfein told the New York Times by way of explaining his company’s spectacular success at the time, “we’ve come full circle, because that is exactly what the Rothschilds or J.P. Morgan the banker were doing in their heyday. What caused an aberration was the Glass-Steagall Act.”
That 1933 act was repealed in a law signed by President Bill Clinton at Rubin’s urging, and in the following eight years Goldman Sachs recorded a 265 percent growth in its balance sheet. “Back then,” the Wall Street Journal reports, “Goldman was churning out profits by trading credit derivatives, speculating on currencies and oil and placing big bets [on] the stock market.”
Big bets made in a casino designed by Goldman, which now makes money off loans to the victims. High on the list of victims are state governments that have to turn to Goldman for money because the federal government that saved the banks won’t do the same for the states, which have watched their tax bases shrink because of the banking meltdown. As the WSJ noted, “issuing debt to ailing governments” is now a growth industry for Goldman.
Why didn’t the federal government just lend the money to the states? Why was all the money thrown at Wall Street instead of needy homeowners or struggling school systems? Because the federal government works for Goldman and not for us. Indeed, when it comes to the banking bailout, Goldman Sachs is the government.
So much so that last fall the New York Times ran a story, headlined “The Guys From ‘Government Sachs’,” that stated: “Goldman’s presence in the [Treasury] department and around the federal response to the financial bailout is so ubiquitous [found everywhere] that other bankers and competitors have given the star-studded firm a new nickname: Government Sachs.”
One of those stars was Stephen Friedman, another former head of Goldman. Friedman was both a director of the company and chairman of the New York Federal Reserve Bank when he helped work out the details of the Wall Street bailout. The president of the NY Fed at the time, Timothy Geithner, now secretary of the treasury, requested a conflict-of-interest waiver that allowed Friedman to buy more Goldman Sachs stock, and Friedman ended up with 98,600 shares. At market close on Tuesday that was worth $14,756,476. That’s nothing–three years ago, the 50 top Goldman execs made $20 million each, and this year could be better.
They’re not hurting, nor would you be, if you were so privileged.
I'm very happy that people are finally understand the revolving between the Federal Reserve, U.S. Treasury, and Goldman Sachs.
http://dprogram.net/2009/07/15/government-sachs-strikes-gold-again/
Well, because that was the plan, as devised by Bush Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, a former CEO of Goldman Sachs. Remember that Lehman Brothers, Goldman’s competitor, was allowed to go bankrupt. The Paulson crowd wouldn’t let Lehman change its status to that of a bank holding company and thus qualify for federal funds; soon afterward, Goldman was granted just such a deal, worth a quick $10 billion. Much is now made of Goldman paying back part of its bailout money, but forgotten is the $12.9 billion that Goldman got as its cut of the $180 billion AIG payoff. That is money that will not be paid back.
Goldman is considered a very smart bank because it was early in reducing its exposure to the mortgage derivatives [presumably because they have the ultimate inside information] that in large part caused the meltdown. However, it had done much to expand the market and continued to sell suspect derivatives to unwary buyers as sound investments, even as Goldman divested. The firm still holds $1.85 billion in real estate and lost $499 million in the previous quarter on bad loans, but made up for it by playing the vulture role and issuing high-interest debt to governments and companies made desperate by the recession that the financial gimmicks of the banks brought on in the first place.
And Goldman was not just another bank. Before Paulson ran the Treasury Department, another former Goldman head, Robert Rubin, pushed through the repeal of the Glass-Steagall controls on banking activity. While some now play down the significance of this radical deregulation, not so Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd C. Blankfein–at least not back in June 2007, when the markets were still doing well. “If you take an historical perspective,” Blankfein told the New York Times by way of explaining his company’s spectacular success at the time, “we’ve come full circle, because that is exactly what the Rothschilds or J.P. Morgan the banker were doing in their heyday. What caused an aberration was the Glass-Steagall Act.”
That 1933 act was repealed in a law signed by President Bill Clinton at Rubin’s urging, and in the following eight years Goldman Sachs recorded a 265 percent growth in its balance sheet. “Back then,” the Wall Street Journal reports, “Goldman was churning out profits by trading credit derivatives, speculating on currencies and oil and placing big bets [on] the stock market.”
Big bets made in a casino designed by Goldman, which now makes money off loans to the victims. High on the list of victims are state governments that have to turn to Goldman for money because the federal government that saved the banks won’t do the same for the states, which have watched their tax bases shrink because of the banking meltdown. As the WSJ noted, “issuing debt to ailing governments” is now a growth industry for Goldman.
Why didn’t the federal government just lend the money to the states? Why was all the money thrown at Wall Street instead of needy homeowners or struggling school systems? Because the federal government works for Goldman and not for us. Indeed, when it comes to the banking bailout, Goldman Sachs is the government.
So much so that last fall the New York Times ran a story, headlined “The Guys From ‘Government Sachs’,” that stated: “Goldman’s presence in the [Treasury] department and around the federal response to the financial bailout is so ubiquitous [found everywhere] that other bankers and competitors have given the star-studded firm a new nickname: Government Sachs.”
One of those stars was Stephen Friedman, another former head of Goldman. Friedman was both a director of the company and chairman of the New York Federal Reserve Bank when he helped work out the details of the Wall Street bailout. The president of the NY Fed at the time, Timothy Geithner, now secretary of the treasury, requested a conflict-of-interest waiver that allowed Friedman to buy more Goldman Sachs stock, and Friedman ended up with 98,600 shares. At market close on Tuesday that was worth $14,756,476. That’s nothing–three years ago, the 50 top Goldman execs made $20 million each, and this year could be better.
They’re not hurting, nor would you be, if you were so privileged.
I'm very happy that people are finally understand the revolving between the Federal Reserve, U.S. Treasury, and Goldman Sachs.
http://dprogram.net/2009/07/15/government-sachs-strikes-gold-again/
Monday, July 13, 2009
Friday, July 10, 2009
Our "free press" milks Michael Jackson's death for all it's worth
Meanwhile, Congress is set to vote on "Cap & Trade" which will lead to everyone's energy bill doubling
—a hate speech Bill is moving through that will make it a federal crime to call someone names.
—Ron Paul's "Audit the Fed" Bill is getting stifled in the Senate.
—Barack Obama's administration is strengthening all of George W. Bush's fascist policies...bombing in Pakistan...Gitmo detainees...troops in Iraq not coming home...giving more power to the private Federal Reserve...etc...
If you're like me, you're watching all this unfold and you're getting fucking pissed.
—a hate speech Bill is moving through that will make it a federal crime to call someone names.
—Ron Paul's "Audit the Fed" Bill is getting stifled in the Senate.
—Barack Obama's administration is strengthening all of George W. Bush's fascist policies...bombing in Pakistan...Gitmo detainees...troops in Iraq not coming home...giving more power to the private Federal Reserve...etc...
If you're like me, you're watching all this unfold and you're getting fucking pissed.
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
Thursday, July 02, 2009
Jack Johnson "Upside Down"
Who's to say
What's impossible
Well they forgot
This world keeps spinning
And with each new day
I can feel a change in everything
And as the surface breaks reflections fade
But in some ways they remain the same
And as my mind begins to spread its wings
There's no stoppin' curiosity
I wanna turn the whole thing upside down
I'll find the things they say just can't be found
I'll share this love I find with everyone
We'll sing and dance to Mother Nature's song
I don't want this feeling to go away
Who's to say
I can't do everything
Well I can try
And as I roll along I begin to find
Things aren't always just what they seem
I wanna turn the whole thing upside down
I'll find the things they say just can't be found
I'll share this love I find with everyone
We'll sing and dance to Mother Nature's song
This world keeps spinning and there's no time to waste
Will it all keep spinning and spinning round and round and
Upside down
Who's to say whats impossible and can't be found
I don't want this feeling to go away
Please Don't go away
Please Don't go away
Please don't go away
is this how it's supposed to be
is this how it's supposed to be
New Order (Joy Division) "Ceremony"
It's a shame more people don't know how awesome Joy Division is.
This is why events unnerve me,
They find it all, a different story,
Notice whom for wheels are turning,
Turn again and turn towards this time,
All she asks the strength to hold me,
Then again the same old story,
World will travel, oh so quickly,
Travel first and lean towards this time.
Oh, Ill break them down, no mercy shown,
Heaven knows, its got to be this time,
Watching her, these things she said,
The times she cried,
Too frail to wake this time.
Oh Ill break them down, no mercy shown
Heaven knows, its got to be this time,
Avenues all lined with trees,
Picture me and then you start watching,
Watching forever, forever,
Watching love grow, forever,
Letting me know, forever.
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