I lost seven friends last night when a Sacramento C-130 collided with a Marine Corps helicopter.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Recycle, Reuse
My fave store now is not Macys. It's the church thrift store. I can still look cool for a dollar :)
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
RAC Will Find This Interesting
The President will be in our area to tour a local solar power plant tomorrow. Full story here.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Posterity Of Prosperity...Dude
Banks are failing at a fairly alarming rate, 100 year to date. Gold, Silver, Lead. Nothing is more American than self sufficiency. Just sayin'.
Dude, Where's My Prosperity?
1977 The Community Reinvestment Act is created to address alleged discrimination by banks.
1989 Congress amended the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act requiring banks to disclose racial information on applications.
1995 Clinton's treasury issued regulations tracking loans by neighborhood, income groups and race. Ratings were used by regulators to determine whether mergers would be approved. Used by ACORN to file petitions to slow or prevent banks from conducting business. Banks were extorted to make huge pools of money available to low-income individuals with bad credit. Sub-prime mortgage loans were born.
1992 HUD pressured Freddie Mac/Fannie Mae to purchase (securitize) bundles of loans to diversify the risk and more money available for risky loans. Congress also passed the Federal Housing Enterprise financial safety and soundness act mandating that Fannie/Freddie buy 45% of all loans for low income borrowers.
1995 Congress passes the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund which providedTax dollars to encourage even more risky loans.
Repeated warnings of the pending meltdown were ignored by Dodd, Frank and Schumer.
Derivatives are contracts where one party sells risk to another party in exchange for payments. This allowed banks and investors to spread the risk associated with these mortgages. AIG invested in derivatives
The Federal Reserve Bank had a role in the bust. First by slashing interest rates repeatedly (encouraging borrowers to take risky ARM loans at low rates). Then by steadily raising rates (from 1% to 5% in between 2004 and 2006). When the ARM rates increased, people couldn't pay, the bottom fell out of housing market. BOOM - here we are.
And, you still think that a LACK of government regulation is the problem?
1989 Congress amended the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act requiring banks to disclose racial information on applications.
1995 Clinton's treasury issued regulations tracking loans by neighborhood, income groups and race. Ratings were used by regulators to determine whether mergers would be approved. Used by ACORN to file petitions to slow or prevent banks from conducting business. Banks were extorted to make huge pools of money available to low-income individuals with bad credit. Sub-prime mortgage loans were born.
1992 HUD pressured Freddie Mac/Fannie Mae to purchase (securitize) bundles of loans to diversify the risk and more money available for risky loans. Congress also passed the Federal Housing Enterprise financial safety and soundness act mandating that Fannie/Freddie buy 45% of all loans for low income borrowers.
1995 Congress passes the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund which providedTax dollars to encourage even more risky loans.
Repeated warnings of the pending meltdown were ignored by Dodd, Frank and Schumer.
Derivatives are contracts where one party sells risk to another party in exchange for payments. This allowed banks and investors to spread the risk associated with these mortgages. AIG invested in derivatives
The Federal Reserve Bank had a role in the bust. First by slashing interest rates repeatedly (encouraging borrowers to take risky ARM loans at low rates). Then by steadily raising rates (from 1% to 5% in between 2004 and 2006). When the ARM rates increased, people couldn't pay, the bottom fell out of housing market. BOOM - here we are.
And, you still think that a LACK of government regulation is the problem?
Friday, October 23, 2009
Physicists Calculate Number of Parallel Universes
In a new study, Stanford physicists Andrei Linde and Vitaly Vanchurin have calculated the number of all possible universes, coming up with an answer of 10^10^16. If that number sounds large, the scientists explain that it would have been even more humongous, except that we observers are limited in our ability to distinguish more universes; otherwise, there could be as many as 10^10^10^7 universes.
To work these numbers out, Linde and Vanchurin looked back to the time shortly after the Big Bang, which they view as a quantum process that generated lots of quantum fluctuations. Then during the period of inflation, the universe grew rapidly and these quantum fluctuations were "frozen" into classical perturbations in distinct regions. Today, each of these regions could be a different universe, having its own distinct laws of low energy physics.
By analyzing the mechanism (called "slow roll inflation") that initially generated the quantum fluctuations, the scientists could estimate the number of resulting universes at 10^10^10^7 (a number which is dependent on the model they used). However, this number is limited by other factors, specifically by the limits of the human brain. Since the total amount of information that one individual can absorb in a lifetime is about 10^16 bits, which is equivalent to 10^10^16 configurations, this means that a human brain couldn't distinguish more than 10^10^16 universes.
Requiring that the human brain must be able to count the number of parallel universes may seem inappropriate, if not arrogant, but Linde and Vanchurin explain that dealing with the quantum world is different than our everyday lives in which quantum effects can be safely ignored. A crucial part of their calculation here is an investigation of quantum effects on supergalactic scales. In this kind of scenario, the state of the multiverse and observations made by an observer are correlated (similar to the Schrodinger cat experiment, where the outcome can be determined only after it is registered by a classical observer).
"When we analyze the probability of the existence of a universe of a given type, we should be talking about a consistent pair: the universe and an observer who makes the rest of the universe 'alive' and the wave function of the rest of the universe time-dependent," the scientists write. As the scientists explain, the calculation of the number of universes is an important step toward an even larger goal: to find the probability of living in a universe with a particular set of properties. What are the chances that we live in a world in which the laws of physics are these laws that we currently observe? Answering this question requires finding probabilities that depend on knowing about other universes, among many other challenges.
To work these numbers out, Linde and Vanchurin looked back to the time shortly after the Big Bang, which they view as a quantum process that generated lots of quantum fluctuations. Then during the period of inflation, the universe grew rapidly and these quantum fluctuations were "frozen" into classical perturbations in distinct regions. Today, each of these regions could be a different universe, having its own distinct laws of low energy physics.
By analyzing the mechanism (called "slow roll inflation") that initially generated the quantum fluctuations, the scientists could estimate the number of resulting universes at 10^10^10^7 (a number which is dependent on the model they used). However, this number is limited by other factors, specifically by the limits of the human brain. Since the total amount of information that one individual can absorb in a lifetime is about 10^16 bits, which is equivalent to 10^10^16 configurations, this means that a human brain couldn't distinguish more than 10^10^16 universes.
Requiring that the human brain must be able to count the number of parallel universes may seem inappropriate, if not arrogant, but Linde and Vanchurin explain that dealing with the quantum world is different than our everyday lives in which quantum effects can be safely ignored. A crucial part of their calculation here is an investigation of quantum effects on supergalactic scales. In this kind of scenario, the state of the multiverse and observations made by an observer are correlated (similar to the Schrodinger cat experiment, where the outcome can be determined only after it is registered by a classical observer).
"When we analyze the probability of the existence of a universe of a given type, we should be talking about a consistent pair: the universe and an observer who makes the rest of the universe 'alive' and the wave function of the rest of the universe time-dependent," the scientists write. As the scientists explain, the calculation of the number of universes is an important step toward an even larger goal: to find the probability of living in a universe with a particular set of properties. What are the chances that we live in a world in which the laws of physics are these laws that we currently observe? Answering this question requires finding probabilities that depend on knowing about other universes, among many other challenges.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
I Got The Swine Flu Blues
I've been in denial the past couple of days but if it walks like a pig...oinks like a pig. I have all the symptoms including 102.6 temp tonight. This is miserable, ugh, just take me out back and shoot me. All I can say is get your flu shot!!!!
For All You Guys Who Are Sarah Palin Fans; Must Watch Oprah
Oprah is going to interview Sarah Palin.
Harpo Productions announced Tuesday that the former governor of Alaska and Republican vice presidential candidate will appear on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" on Monday, Nov. 16.
According to Harpo, the interview will be Palin's first about her new book, "Going Rogue: An American Life," and it will be the first time Palin and Winfrey will meet.
Palin's book was No. 4 on Amazon.com's best-seller list on Tuesday. It's slated to be released Tuesday, Nov. 17, the day after Palin's interview with Winfrey.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
2 Americans Win Nobel Prize In Economics
I didn't even have to read the story; the headline alone cracked me up. Talk about irony. Read story here.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Turns out even God is too liberal
A group of conservatives think the Bible is too liberal and plan to do something about it. The Conservative Bible Project seeks to "take the text back to its right-wing roots." Gotta admit I'm a little confused here. All this time they've been telling us the Bible is the literal Word of God and now they're going to turn around and tell God what to say? I give them credit though, that does take some balls. Still, I don't think I'd be playing golf in any thunderstorms if I were them.
I was wrong.. the president has done something..
I think Cindy is on to something.. the president is trying to make our country more diverse and colorful.. a definite shift in American culture.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
US Soccer Team Advances to World Cup...
... and boy are the Republicans pissed.
Not to mention our golf team is leading in the Presidents Cup. Lord help us if Woods and friends pull that one off.
Not to mention our golf team is leading in the Presidents Cup. Lord help us if Woods and friends pull that one off.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
recent reports from some homophobic dumbass
Sponge Bob is Gay! Kids and I love that show! Why does some idiot feel the need to plant something negative in my 12 yr olds head.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Who Killed the Electric Car?
The documentary "Who Killed the Electric Car" is playing tonight (10/3/09) at 8pm e on Planet Green TV. The movie examines the role special interest played in squashing electric car technology. If you like a good conspiracy theory then you will love this film. Of course some of you may have to remove the channel block and send the kids to bed before watching it. ;)
Tears of Joy.. Tears of Disappointment
The wind just got sucked out of the windy city of Chicago, no 2016 Olympics for the USA. We got eliminated in the very first round. Mouths were agape, and a stunned silence covered the crowd.
On the other hand, the city of Rio de Janeiro, one of the deadliest, most crime ridden cities in the world, even more corrupt than Chicago, rejoiced when they heard that Brazil had won the 2016 bid to host the world games.
It came as no big surprise to me however, as the first lady sang a sad sob story in front of the IOC, and our president expended millions of scarce tax payer dollars to promote his home city.
Not that there was any corruption about to be committed in Chicago, by many of the same people who now occupy the white house.. but if nothing else is transparent these days, the obvious conflicts of interest were staggering.
So as the people of Chicago and the USA lick their wounds, the city of Rio is about to be plagued with the monumental task of preparing for the world games and everything that goes along with it.. most notably, safety and security for the multitudes attending.
On the other hand, the city of Rio de Janeiro, one of the deadliest, most crime ridden cities in the world, even more corrupt than Chicago, rejoiced when they heard that Brazil had won the 2016 bid to host the world games.
It came as no big surprise to me however, as the first lady sang a sad sob story in front of the IOC, and our president expended millions of scarce tax payer dollars to promote his home city.
Not that there was any corruption about to be committed in Chicago, by many of the same people who now occupy the white house.. but if nothing else is transparent these days, the obvious conflicts of interest were staggering.
So as the people of Chicago and the USA lick their wounds, the city of Rio is about to be plagued with the monumental task of preparing for the world games and everything that goes along with it.. most notably, safety and security for the multitudes attending.
Friday, October 2, 2009
All Good News
I know some of you love doom and gloom and are sure we are on the road to ruin but I'm happy to report on some economic signs of recovery in the Caraway/Knoke/Wilson household...my son-in-law Alan started working this week after being out of a job for the past year, my stepdaughter who just graduated high school in June started work today as a CNA in the same health care system I work for, she was hired within 2 weeks of getting her license ;the hair salon where my daughter works as a receptionist merged with another salon and she got more hours and a pay raise this week, and my work gave employees a bonus in our paycheck this week for keeping costs down, staying under budget and keeping patient satisfaction scores high....all really great news in these times and I think a sign of better days ahead.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
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