Mainstream Media HALL OF DOOM!

Nothing gets people interested in watching TV or reading newspapers & magazines quite the way that impending doom does. Just like clockwork, whenever the mainstream media runs out of legitimate stories (or when the current legit story get stale like, say, an ongoing debacle of a war in Iraq) they will trot out the latest "_This_ will scare the sh*t out of You!!" Story.

So today I inaugurate my new Mainstream Media Hall of Doom (MMHOD). This will be an ongoing collection of current and past "this is really going to ruin your life" themes the media harped on and then promptly forgot as the next juicy story overtook it. You may have forgotten about these yourself, so I will archive them here.

Mainstream Media Hall of Doom (MMHOD)

• Swine Flu Outbreak (2009) Attack of the Sick Pigs!
• Cell Phones and Cancer (2004- current) Boy, *that* was an expensive call
  
• Water Shortage (2003 - Current - Does this mean Water World won't happen??)
• Global Fish Shortage (Current 2008 - Suddenly, food=fear)
• Worldwide Food Shortage (Rice Famine? 2008 "At the end of the day, you will pay the price for being a fussy eater.")
• Colony Collapse disorder (2007 So Long, And Thanks For all The Pollen!!)
  
• Bird Flu (2006-2007)
• Rogue Asteroid Strike (2004)
• SARS (2003)
  
• Terrorism (current)
  
• Global Warming (current)
• Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (1990s -2000's Angry cows on the warpath)
  
• Y2K Glitch (1999)
• Deformed Frogs (1995)
• West Nile Virus (2002-2005 Invasion of the Infected Vampires)
• Satanic Day Care (1980-1990)
• Hole In The Ozone Layer (1985)
• Acid Rain (Late 1980's)
• Global Cooling (1975)
• Population Explosion (late 1960's)
• Commies Are Going To Get Us! (1950s-1980s)
  
• Nuclear Annihilation (1950-1980)

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I have color coded these in the following way:

Green - While it might have been real to some extent, if you never fretted about it, you'd be no worse off
Orange - Maybe you should (or should have) worried a little about this one.
Red - OMG, the Media was right! We're all DOOMED!
Black - An ongoing event (too early to tell...so you'd better worry yourself into an ulcer just to be on the safe side).

Of course, an item's color code will change if the situation warrants.

Originally Posted: 4/24/2008
Last updated: 11/15/2009
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The Peon Pulpit's Best Shows On Television (2009)

TV seems to be in a holding pattern these days.....

1. Best Reality Series -
2. Best Educational Series - How It's Made (Science Channel/Discovery Channel/Ztele)
3. Best Drama Series - Dexter (Showtime) New entry!
4. Best Documentary Series - Frontline (PBS)
   
5. Best Comedy Series - The Office (NBC)
6. Best News Show -
   
7. Best Political Show - The McLachlan group (TMG)

Updated 11/15/2009

Pfizer Bulldozes Woman's Home...Then Walks Away

Basically. After winning a case that went to the Supreme Court, New London, CT made a woman move out of her house so they could give her land to Pfizer. They took it promising all sorts of jobs and econmic benefits. The city in turn gave Pfizer all sorts of tax breaks. Now it looks like Pfizer just gave the town the middle finger. Nice.

Serves them right. This should be a warning to all other states to limit eminent domain.

Sounds That Remind Me Of Other Songs...

This is a collection of songs that to me, sound like other songs. Maybe not to the point of being completely ripped off, but definitely share similar sonic elements:

• Taylor Swift - "You Belong To Me" (2009) sounds like "First Time" by Lifehouse (chorus) (2007)
• Maroon 5 - "She Will Be Loved" (2004) sounds like Tears For Fears "Break It Down Again" (1993) ["I don't mind spending every day".... = "It's in the way you're always hiding from the light"]
  

American's Just Don't Know How To Protest

Americans are really bad at protesting...below is an amazing video on YouTube from an Estonian Protest in Tallinn.



I doubt people could get it together and protest like this in the US.

"Severe Abdominal Pain" Is Sweeping Through Hollywood

What is up with all these cases?

• Tori Spelling in Hospital with Severe Abdominal Pain
• Paul Rodriguez Rushed to Hospital
• Dennis Hopper in hospital in New York (stomach ailment...)
  

Silly Pseudoephedrine Law Captures...

Grandma. Good work. All the while, meth streams in from Mexico. Who would have thought?

So let's do the math: Grandma get's an arrest record, and our meth problem grows.

Brilliant.

D.C. Ends Vehicle Inspections - But Is The Joke On You?

D.C. has announced that starting October 1, 2009, they will no longer require vehicle owners to get an annual inspection. This was announced as a budget reduction , allegedly saving the district some $400,000 per year.

Of course, the paranoid in me immediately questions how the People's Republic of D.C. could ever give up this control and revenue stream. Why wouldn't they just increase the inspection sticker price? Seems a bit out of place, doesn't it?? Unless....

Unless it gives them more control. Is it possible, that after October 1, 2009, a D.C. Police officer can pull you over for no obvious violation but instead do it under the cloak of a 'roadside inspection'? Am I really that paranoid? Yes.

Before you judge, consider that this surprise inspection cancellation announcement comes just 65 days after D.C.'s plan of setting up roadside checkpoints in certain high crime neighborhoods was ruled unconstitutional by a federal court. So D.C. can no longer roadblock whole neighborhoods, but perhaps they will now just set up vehicle inspection programs? Perhaps setting up shop in certain neighborhoods? Yes, that makes it all fit together nicely.

We'll see...

Obama (Allegedly) Calls Kanye West A 'Jackass'

If it's true, it may very well mark the first time someone in a position of power has actually said out loud what the rest of us have been thinking/saying for a long time.

Thank God. Maybe Moron TV will not invite him to their shows anymore (unlikely).

Jaycee Lee Dugard Case Could Get Complicated Fast

This week's very bizarre story of Jaycee Lee Dugard has captured everyone's attention. Ms. Dugard was kidnapped 18 years ago when she was just 11 years old by Phillip Garrido ( a convicted violent sex offender) and his wife. Over the course of the 18 year imprisonment, Garrido appears to have fathered at least two children with Dugard. He was arrested and charged with rape and kidnapping.

But what if Ms. Dugard is experiencing Stockholm Syndrome? This seems likely since she's now a 29 year old woman who has not made any apparent attempts to flee (time will tell on that).

The oldest child is 15, which would have made her 13-15 years old at the time of birth. Clearly that would have been, at the very least, statutory rape. Her other child is 11 which would put her age at roughly 18, so rape would be the only charge available there.

The question now is, what are the statute of limitations on kidnapping, statutory rape (assuming Dugard claims it was consensual due to Stockholm Syndrome) and rape (assuming Dugard realizes she was kidnapped and held against her will) in California?

I'm betting that many of those have run out.

Amazon.com Shows BB Application Developers How It's Done

Now this is how you make an application for the Blackberry. Amazon.com released its own Blackberry application back in March or April. You can search, buy, track and even take pictures of items and Amazon will tell you if they sell it or a similar product. Pretty cool. All the other app developers should take a look at this and figure out how this was done.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/anywhere/sms/bbapp

Just Great: Meth Addicts Are Also Alchemists

As if it weren't bad enough that they were also psycho-killers, methheads are apparently more resourceful than the rest of us. They've figured out how to make meth with soda bottles, a tiny bit of Sudafed and who knows what else (perhaps a crow's claw?).

AP IMPACT: New meth formula avoids anti-drug laws

So you can see the set up here. We're going to have to ban soda.

The Epidemic of Vitamin D Deficiency

Much has been written about Vitamin D recently. I am frequent reader of the Mercola website and remember reading about it years ago but basically ignored it as I was taking Centrum multivitamins (400 IU of vitamin D) and assumed I was covered. Years later, I moved to the Costco brand of multi-vitamins and was beginning to wonder if I was meeting the minimums being discussed by Vitamin experts. Some were throwing out numbers like 2,000-5,000 IUs a day. So I began taking 1,000 IUs in addition to the multi (1,400 per day). This went on for about 3 months and then I bought a new batch of Costco's vitamins and found they upped the D to 1,000 in their vitamins. This mean that I was taking 2,000 IU a day.

That went on for about 1-2 months. Just last week I got my Vitamin D levels checked with a 25-hydroxyvitamin D test. My levels, I assumed might be sky high, but one thing was sure...they wouldn't be low.

The recommended range was from 30-80 ng/ml. I came in at 42 (less than 30 is a deficiency). My levels were actually on the low side, after months of taking ~1,500 - 2,000 IUs a day.

What I'm wondering is, how on earth can most people, who spend their days under fluorescent lamps and don't take vitamins.....getting any at all?

The Vitamin D Council website has an interesting article on Autism and Vitamin D. It draws parallels between the sudden widespread deficiency and the sudden rise in Autism (maybe breast cancer too?). It's important to remember that Coppertone first introduced UVA/UVB blocking sunscreen only 24 years ago in 1985.

Godwin's Law In action

Looks like Goodwin's law applies outside of Internet newsgroups and message boards. In the last few days, anti-health care protesters have been compared to Nazis and Tim McVeigh.

Will The Economic Crisis Descend Into Violence?

It sure seems like it might. As the economy gets worse, politics it seems, is getting to be a rough business. American politicians have rarely had to deal with this sort of belligerent constituent rage, and it has appeared on the public stage suddenly and in a widespread fashion.

Nancy Pelosi and others blame these spectacles on conservative special interest groups. And to some extent, she's right. But it appears that all they are doing is tapping into a well of anger and distrust many Americans are obviously feeling.

I don't think the general public nor the politicians have caught onto how deep into an economic crisis we are. And in times of national struggle, such as we find ourselves, everyone must be on their best behavior to avoid widespread civil unrest. We can hardly afford that sort of thing now.

The Death Of (Online) News

Rupert Murdoch announced that all of his News Corp business will being charging for content. Let me be the first to say goodbye to News Corp.

The Financial Times is also floating the same ballon that within the next 12 months "news agencies" (Read: The Financial Times) will begin charging for content as well. At least the FT had a 120 + year run at it. I, personally, am looking forward to watching the prestige and power quickly and quietly drifting away from any news organization who walks this path.

What does all this talk of charging really mean? I think means that news agencies are realizing that the internet bubble of 2000 actually ended. It also means that the current financial crisis is bringing their empires to an abrupt end....and we've just caught a glimpse of the hand they're holding. If they're losing too much money, why not just shut the site down and avoid the embarrassing fade to insignificance? I have a theory....

First, lets take a look at the brief history of news:

1. First there was gossip/rumor
2. Then there was government controlled 'news'
3. Then the free press got in on the game to help form public opinion and foment revolutions...somewhere around the time of the American Revolution (with their pamphlets and all....)
4. Then people started charging pennies for pamphlets to cover their printing costs
5. Weekly/daily newspapers started popping up in populated localities, usually charging enough to cover the business costs
6. Advertising was introduced as a way to "make money" in these newspapers
   
7. Radio came along with no way to charge so the profit/expenses were all covered by advertising (and payola).
   
8. TV came along with the same problem, so the news was given for free (just like radio). It was done at a loss that was made up for by advertising on the 'entertainment' side of the business. This was done because the networks realized the news gave them leverage to use against the government. As a result, TV networks (and to a lesser extent, a few newspapers) gained power as the unelected mouthpiece of a nation, forming public opinion as they wished.
   
9. This bloody internet thing came along (to upset everything) and the established media saw it only as a way to extend their TV/newspaper reach.
10. Magazines and Newspapers get into the game thinking they can charge the same price for their electronic product as their paper product (and it costs almost nothing to distribute). It fails miserably (with few exceptions).
    
11. Everybody is happy with the results until the Great Depression of 2008-?
12. All the established news organizations realize they're going bankrupt because advertisers can't afford to pay the fees anymore. Desperation sets in.
13. People like Murdock float the idea that they'll begin charging everyone for what they used to get for free.

Sounds like a great plan in the midst of a massive global economic depress..err..recession. Day-dreaming of the good the old days won't help the bottom line of News Corp or any of the other faded, fat, greedy news media. If Murdock goes through with his promise, News Corp will quickly be reduced to insignificance.

I predict however that they will quickly change their mind, much like an airline trying to raise airfares by itself, when their page hits drop 99% [On a side note, I can't wait to see the look on a Fox reporter's face when President Obama answers one of the (last) Fox News questions by starting with "You can tell you 15 readers - it is 15 right? or did you guys get a new subscriber in the last week ?- that the reason..."]

But it won't happen, because charging won't happen. Because after all, what mass media is about is power. The power to sway opinion. And it's a power people like Murdock are willing to pay for, even if they have the audacity to try charging you for it.

Rupert and Friends would be smart to remember the Encyclopedia Britannica. Once a proud source of knowledge, for over 200 years, now relegated to a dark, seldom visited corner of the internet/library.

That all happened after this site showed up just 8 years ago: Wikipedia - Much maligned, but still triumphant.

Just wait until you see what the plan is for your kingdom. The free ride might be over, but that doesn't mean people will pay to ride. They might just go back to walking.

Cool Software For Your Cellphone (...that also threatens corruption, evil and oppression everywhere)

Qik is a website and a free application for your cellphone. The application installs on your phone (Blackberry for example) and allows you to one-click record video using your camera's built in video camera. What's cool about Qik is that it simultaneously uploads your video to your own personal Qik web page. Apparently you can also stream live video from your cell phone too, but the part that caught my eye was the fact that it records (saves) your video in real time on a remote server.

Keeping in mind my previous post of the dangers of the police state, Qik is a new threat to the corrupt. One of the problems with being on the scene or being arrested, for example, is that your camera/recorder etc will be seized and then possibly lost/erased etc. Qik renders the physical confiscation of the camera irrelevant. By the time the camera is taken, the video is on the Internet, and the gene is out of the bottle.

Obama's Healthcare Plan

Listening to the sketchy details of the Obama health care plan, I'm feeling like I might have set the bar too low for my September stock market prediction of 6,500. If this plan goes through, and it looks like it will, It will almost certainly cause a large spike in unemployment.

I figure the Wall Street firms are not really that concerned right now, as they assume their health plans are already above the minimums that will be set by the government. However, their short-sightedness won't spare them from the pain. I predict the smaller business will soon realize they can't make it with the added healthcare costs and will begin either closing up shop or dumping employees. Those employees will then be a further drain on taxpayers and business as they collect unemployment and other government benefits, including the new government (Read:Taxpayer) funded healthcare. Who doesn't see the huge funding gap that will be the result of this large unemployment shift? Probably the White House analysts figuring out how much it's going to cost.

So, back to Wall Street. Who's buying their products? Soon no one will be able to afford it unless it's an essential item. For the economy, this will be disastrous.

The DJIA at 6,500 might end up looking like the good old days by 2010.

Washington Nationals Turn Out To Be A Bad Deal For D.C.

Nationals Not Paying Off for D.C.

Duh. Who would have thought building a $700 million stadium was a good idea?

And DC Schools are just as bad as they used to be.

Eight States Hit Historic Highs For Unemployment In May

In May, (8) states set new records for their unemployment rate. In early August, we'll see if more states will be added to the list of new highs in 2009:

California 11.5
Florida 10.2
Georgia 9.7
Nevada 11.3
North Carolina 11.1
Oregon 12.4
Rhode Island 12.1
South Carolina 12.1

As You've Read Here, Acetaminophen is Dangrous

Despite the ads touting safety, Acetaminophen (aka Tylenol, Paracetamol, etc) is probably the most dangerous over the counter drug on the market. But you already knew that, didn't you?

How to get Vlingo 2.0 Back On Your Blackberry After Upgrading To 3.0

1. First, delete Vlingo 3.0 (on most phones, go to BB Options -> Advanced Options -> Applications -> Menu -> Delete). Vlingo does not support downloading 2.x to a phone already running 3.0.
2. Reboot your phone by removing the battery.
3. Determine the operating system (OS) version of your BlackBerry. This can be determined by clicking on Options -> About. The first entry will show your phone model and operating system version. For example, "BlackBerry 8130 smartphone (CDMA) v4.3.0.60". In this case, the operating system version is 4.3 (note that not all 8130s are running 4.3).
4. Download the appropriate version of Vlingo 2.0/2.1 directly to your BlackBerry (not to your desktop) from one of these links:
   
   • a. OS 4.7 (Storm) & 4.6: http://www.vlingo.com/apps/vc_oldclients/2.1.0/4.6/vlingoForBlackBerry_en.jad
   • 
     
   • b. OS 4.3 & 4.5: http://www.vlingo.com/apps/vc_oldclients/2.0.1.19585/4.3/vlingoForBlackBerry_en.jad
   • 
     
   • c. OS 4.2: http://www.vlingo.com/apps/vc_oldclients/2.0.1.19585/4.2/vlingoForBlackBerry_en.jad

Original version of these instructions are here.

Realtors Crying Because The New Rules Are 'too tough'

Looks like the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) is really getting squeezed. Two stories out in the last week demonstrate that they pine for the old days where they could take their 5% of ridiculously inflated prices and live like kings. Take for example:

• Realtors are upset about new rules requiring that appraisals be done without any pressure from mortgage originators. They call them 'faulty' because the old way, letting appraisers value a house at whatever it was listed for, worked out so well (for them).
• They're also upset that those big old mean banks are refusing to eat millions of dollars in short sale losses. They think the banks are being too harsh on the poor home owner who wants to bail on their mortgage and leave the bank to absorb $10,000 - $100,000 + worth of bad debt. The NAR of course, is upset because they're not getting their 5% on the short sale. They say that only by reducing housing inventory will the market get healthy again. I note that they are not willing to split the loss with the bank to help 'reduce the inventory'.

I'm sure the NAR is probably getting lots of sad calls from their membership indicating the trouble they are having paying their Lexus/Mercedes lease payments with the market being what it is. But the idea that the NAR is even slightly concerned about the economy at large is laughable. Banks cannot afford to lose all this money any more than the NAR can and the faulty appraisals were a primary facilitator of what got us into this mess in the first place!

Opera May Be On To Something....Big

Opera, the 'also ran' browser of late, may have finally hit onto something big. They promised to reinvent the web, and while I'm not prepared to go that far, I will say what they've done will no doubt have Firefox, IE and Chrome scrambling to copy it's features. Their new product, Opera Unite is here:

http://unite.opera.com/

What does it do that's so cool? Well it basically turns your PC into a server.....easily with point and click "services" that you install (it appears most of what they have now comes with the initial download). For example you can now, super easily:

• Set up a file server and send just a URL to your friends to have them download files. Imagine sending grandma a URL where she can download your family photos, all (at least for now) securely.
• Actually host websites from your PC (your Internet service provider may not be all that happy...)
• Set up a photo sharing site (similar to the file server
• Access your PCs music library and play those files from anywhere over the Internet.
• Set up a private chat room with your friends.
• Set up a virtual 'fridge' for your friends to leave notes

And that's just for starters. I'm sure there are going to be bugs. But rest assured that people at Mozilla Firefox, Google and ID are scrambling right now to copy these very cool features.

It's now available for Windows, Linux and Mac.

Do you whistle while you work?

Then please stop. It's annoying.

Stock Market Prediction: Take Two

Ok, Here goes my second prediction on the stock market. Back in October I predicted the DJIA would fall to 7,500 within 30 days. It did lose 481 points during that period, but wasn't as bad as I had predicted. But I did note that on March 6, 2009, it was only ~100 points from my previously rediculous sounding prediction. I figure my timing is a bit off.

So here's my second go. In the next 90 days (including the 90th day...a larger time frame to account for my inaccuracy) the DJIA will drop to or below 6,500 at least once.

Today's close was: 8,612.13

I guess we'll see on 9/14/2009 or sooner.

You Know It's A Crazy, Mixed Up World

When one of the primary tools of a police state, surveillance, comes back to haunt the police. In the last few weeks, I've seen a couple of stories that highlight the new danger police face: Someone is almost always watching you.

We first really saw its power in the Rodney King case, but now surveillance cameras (aka "security cameras") are becoming ubiquitous. It's getting to the point where a corrupt cop can't even go about his/her business without having to deal with perjury charges. Take for example these two recent cases:

• Drug suspects’ defense against NYPD? Video
• Accused of lying, officer suspended
• Surveillance video shows police beating man in elevator (more on this one "But after seeing the video obtained by Ortiz's defense attorney, Stephen Melnick, prosecutors downgraded the charge to a misdemeanor resisting charge. Upon further review, prosecutors dropped the case entirely". And of course the kicker: "Fort Lauderdale police internal affairs investigators reviewed the incident more than a month ago and found no violations of policy or procedures, said Sgt. Frank Sousa, the department's spokesman."

So how is it going to be fixed? Your guess is as good as mine. For the hand-held camera, we have already seen that police are very willing to arrest the camera-man for interfering with 'police business'. However, stationary cameras present a unique problem. I think maybe we'll see a wave of Security Camera Legislation requiring a lengthy process to get a permit from the police to use a security camera. But until then, I'm sure these stories will just keep on rolling in.

Chinese Company to Buy Hummer

Well, I hope they know that Hummers get like 8 MPG. But this is the clearest example that the Chinese are going to cash in their dissolving dollars for real assets.

Americans are going to have a hard time swallowing the idea that to get better, we must sell off the last manufacturing capability we have and become totally dependent on China.

An American MP Scandal?

Looks like the Wall Street Journal is trying to follow in the footsteps of the Daily Telegraph in pointing out the misuse of taxpayer money by politicians. Let's see if the spark catches.

Good Movies/Shows For Netflix Watch Instantly

I just purchased a Roku player (after a while of toying with the idea of building my own media center PC). So far, it's better than I expected. This $100 device lets you stream Netflix 'watch instantly' movies (and Amazon.com video on demand movies) to your television. The only downside I've seen is that the selection of movies is somewhat limited.

That doesn't mean that there's nothing good to watch however. I've looked on-line to see if anyone else has recommended some good movies to watch, but the only sites I've found are pretty outdated. I will keep a log here of watch now available films that I've watched which are worth the time. Let me know if you've found this useful:

• Pan's Labyrinth
• Let The Right One In
• Waco: The Rules of Engagement
• Man on Wire
• The Endless Summer
• The King of Kong
• The Green Mile
• The Shawshank Redemption: Special Edition
• Capturing the Friedmans
• Survivorman: Season 1
• Enter the Dragon: Special Edition
• The Exorcist
• Heroes (First season, so far, has been excellent)
• The IT Crowd (First two episodes are slow, but it's very funny by the 3rd)
  

Free Tade And Government Bailouts

Where is the World Trade Organization? I read yesterday that the government will soon own 75% of GM. Yet no one is talking about government subsidies (low interest loans, direct payments, bailouts, etc) distorting "free trade". I wonder why? Just a few years ago the WTO was ranting about how the US government 'supports' Boeing through R&D payments. Yet not a peep on the massive US and European bailouts.

Maybe they're figuring it all works out in the end if GM exports jobs along with their vehicles.

Remember That You Read It

5/27/2009

"WASHINGTON (AP) — More than 90 percent of economists predict the recession will end this year, although the recovery is likely to be bumpy.

That assessment came from leading forecasters in a survey by the National Association for Business Economics released Wednesday. It is generally in line with the outlook from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and his colleagues."

"More than 90 %" Eh? Too bad they didn't list names. I don't know anything about NABE, but I suspect they're about as good as the National Association of Realtors at predicting the economy.

Darwinius Fraudious?

So am I the only person who is slightly suspicious that a fossil found 23 years ago, held in a 'private collection' and 're-discovered' 2 years ago, studied in secret and announced to the world as "THE MISSING LINK", might actually be some sort of fraud? I mean the guy who had it for 23 years and apparently wasn't aware of its significance sold it for $1,000,000. Does that sound like someone who has no idea of it's value?

The stampede to embrace this alleged discovery is astounding. Every media outlet is running with this story (Google even put up a special image of the fossil on their page), even though very few other scientists have even had a chance to look at this fossil before it's declared to be 'the one'. Keeping in mind a few other discoveries of late, the Peon Pulpit's official position is that this is a hoax until proven otherwise (or at least 50 years has past).

Anytime you see a scientific announcement preceded by a movie and a book deal, be afraid...be very afraid. Clearly the value of the book tie-in (read: almighty dollar) has not been lost on these scientists.

Travel Channel Has A Winner

Dhani Tackles the Globe. This show is actually pretty good. Too bad I caught it near the end of the season. I'm not sure if Dhani Jones is any good at football, but he probably has a career in television.

Don't Look Now...But The UK Is About To Catch Fire

If you haven't been following the growing scandal in the UK, now might be a good time to get acquainted with it. What's happened is a common product of when the easy money get's tight: All the fraud is exposed like coral at low tide.

Just like the Bernie Maddoff scandal here in the US, the Daily Telegraph has set alight a fire in England. The Telegraph leaked expense documents for Members of Parliament which show they were abusing their privilege of tax write-offs and government funded expense accounts. Some of the abuses border on criminal. But what did the Labor Party government of Gordon Brown do? They indicated that they would prosecute the person who leaked the documents! Never mind that it was the public's money.

Then the tide suddenly turned. Suddenly the MPs started to worry about the real possibility of pitchforks and bonfires. Now they're sheepishly announcing that they're 'paying back' the money, but all the while still claiming it was all on the up-and-up. Clearly it's not. And since when was agreeing to give back stolen goods enough to just walk away from a theft? I suspect Gordon Brown and the Labor Party will not recover from this one. Keep an eye on this, it might erupt into street violence....who knows these days.

Every day more details leak out. I wonder how long it will be before the same happens in this country?

The Peon Pulpit Reviews The Graduate (1967)

So last night I watched the 1967 classic "The Graduate" staring Dustin Hoffman & Anne Bancroft. Overall, I'd give this movie a 5 out of 10. I fail to see why it was such a great American classic...but whatever.

One thing that did strike me as odd, is that what I thought happened in the movie, wasn't what other people thought. Of course, this isn't the first time this has happened to me. But happening with such a 'classic' makes me wonder if maybe I'm wearing those sun glasses from They Live or just simply deranged.

(SPOILER ALERT!)

My version of what happened was this: Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) has an affair with a much older married woman Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft). At some point in the film Benjamin asks Mrs. Robinson about how she got married to Mr. Robinson. It comes out that Mrs. Robinson was pregnant with her daughter Elaine (Katharine Ross), and that's why she got married. When Benjamin suggests he might go out with Elaine, Mrs. Robinson suddenly flips out and basically threatens Benjamin with death if he even contemplates going out with Elaine. The rest of the movie is basically Benjamin falling in love and Mrs. Robinson doing everything she can to stop it.

So why does Mrs. Robinson flip out at the idea of Benjamin dating Elaine? The IMDB gives two reasons, neither of which are mine.....and I think mine makes a LOT more sense.

The reason is that Elaine is Benjamin's half sister. It's clear that Benjamin's dad and Elaine's dad are business partners, and probably have known each other since college. Mrs. Robinson must have had an affair with Benjamin's dad, got pregnant and told Mr. Robinson that he was the father. Mrs. Robinson clearly knows the truth however, but can't let it come out now after all these years. This dark secret is so enormous that she's willing to tell her daughter about her affair with Ben, hastily arrange her daughter to be married to someone else and even claim to be raped by Ben.

And in my version...the very awkward bus ride at the end where Benjamin's smile turns to a blank stare, indicates that he had just started to figure it all out himself....

Swine Flu Pandemic - Added to the MMHOD

Swine flu pandemic has been added to the Mainstream Media Hall Of Doom!

Willis Carrier Inducted into the Hall of Greatness

For inventing air conditioning.

Peon Pulpit Predicts US Government Crackdown On Political Blog(s)

While my (very short) prediction track record has not been all that great.... The Pulpit is now predicting that a government agency will crack down on (and, at least temporarily, shut down) one or more well known political blogs within the next 2 years. The time range is long, but the prediction is that this will create a 1st Amendment 'crisis' in the US.

This predicted crack down will likely be done with the excuse that the blog(s) in question are in some vague manner inciting either violence or economic instability, but could be done under the guise of some other unforeseen criminal act.

Peon Pulpit's Hall Of Greatness

This is where the Peon Pulpit honors the great works. While many of the artists/works recognized here have been honored elsewhere for their greatness, a secondary focus of this area will be to honor those that have been maligned, under-rated, ignored or possibly even scorned unjustly.

Basically this is just an excuse to give 'props' to stuff and people I like.

And now, The Inductees (In No Particular Order):

MUSIC

• Hall & Oats - While they have a very strong portfolio of music from the '70's and '80's, their induction into the Hall Of Greatness can be justified on the strength of the song "She's Gone" alone. Wow...I love that song.
  
• The Carpenters - For their entire catalog of music.
• Skinny Puppy - For their entire catalog of music. And for stuff like this & this.
  
• White Zombie - Exclusively For La Sexorcisto. Certainly one of the greatest rock albums of all time.
• The Three Degrees - For the song "When Will I See You Again"
• Townes Van Zandt - For his entire catalog.
• Michael Martin Murphey - For the song "Wildfire"
• Rush - Do you really need to ask?
• Hector Berlioz - Entire Catalog of music.
• The Cure - Entire Catalog, but in particular the album Pornography
  
• XTC - Entire Catalog

 
FILM

• The Matrix - One of the greatest Sci-fi movies of all time
  

TELEVISION
INVENTORS

• Willis Carrier - For inventing modern air conditioning
  

BOOKS
FOOD

• Typhoo Tea

PRODUCTS

• 3M Command Strips
• RIM Blackberry
  

OTHER ARTISTS

• Bill Hicks (Comedy)
• Clarence John Laughlin (photography)
  

Started 01/02/2009

UN Says 'Social Unrest' Is A Possibility; GM Asks For Another $2.6 billion in subsidies

UN chief Ban Ki-moon warned that the economic crisis could lead to widespread social unrest. Is that a threat or a prediction? Hard to tell.

GM asked for $2.6 billion in 'low interest loans" (i.e., subsidies) in order to build Hybrids. Oh, so now you need money to build Hybrids?? This from the company that was going to bring us the all electric Chevy Volt (and the EV-1, which they quietly killed back in the 90's.....smart move!).

How much longer can the US subsidize domestic auto manufactures before someone complains to the WTO? Isn't this what free trade isn't all about? I'm sure the automakers are just the tip of the iceberg...

Obama Gets Tough With American Automakers

By giving them more money. What, is this a joke? He's going to cover their warranty costs for them by making sure everyone knows Uncle Sam has the warranty covered.

If the news wasn't so adamant about telling me that this was "tough love" and that "frustrated Americans" (and just how many Americans were surveyed for that article??) were happy he was getting tough, I might just think Obama just caved in.

And this startled me: "Fiat is prepared to transfer its cutting-edge technology to Chrysler," he said. Fiat? Maybe things have changed since my mom's Fiat X1/9 was built....one would hope.

Depression, Here We Come.....

There's only denial left now, at least, that's how I see it. In the last year, the DJIA has lost 46% of it's value (!) . Citibank has lost 95% of it's value. Bank of America has lost 90%. GE has lost 80%. Ford has lost 70%.

Here are my predictions for the year ahead:

Inflation (thanks to the nearly $3 trillion spending spree) is not far away and will be rampant. The low prices and great 'deals' that are to be had right now are going to end fast as competition diminishes due to manufactures leaving the market (bankruptcy, mainly), and production cutbacks by the ones who survive.

When inflation comes (likely within the next year), the housing market will lock up due to high mortgage rates (remember the 16% rates of the early 1980's? I think we'll be at least that high). The 1% of buyers who can make it through the lending requirements maze with their 20% cash down-payment will find that at a 15+% interest rate, even the 'cheapest' of homes is unaffordable. Many lenders will leave the market all together, as the uncertainty of inflation and judicial modifications of mortgage contracts makes the business just too risky. Homeowners are going to have to get used to staying in their homes for the next 25-30 years. They won't be happy.

Production cutbacks will lead to high unemployment rates. Foreclosures will dominate the real estate market (much more so than today). Pension funds and 401(k)s will be virtually zeroed out. States and local governments will struggle to make ends meet as property values nosedive.

A rise in crime and economic frustration will lead to civil strife. There will likely be riots worldwide as citizens vent their frustrations against the perceived 'elite' who got everyone into this mess (and who's tab we'll all be picking up).

In short, I predict a real depression is in our future. Right now, the economic pundits on CNBC and elsewhere are looking for a bottom to the market. 6 months ago they chortled at the thought of a severe recession. In the next 6 months, they will be using the 'd' word with regularity.

The Chinese Want To Cash In Their Chips

And buy up some distressed real estate. Who can blame them? Their dollars will be massively devalued shortly. Maybe they'll buy up some of our failing banks too (Bank of China anyone?)

Why The Stimulus Bill Won't Work

If the $800 billion stimulus bill passes, which is still debatable, it will have minimum impact at best. Why? Because unlike the 1930's when government spending would go into the pockets of American workers and American companies to build American infrastructure, any stimulus that is initiated by the US government today will almost immediately exit the country and end up in the hands of a foreign country.

For example, think about the Blue Ridge Parkway which was built during the Great Depression as a way of stimulating the economy. American companies were paid to build it, and Americans were paid to do the labor. The money that went to companies was used to purchase equipment and materials. These items were almost certainly manufactured by other American companies. Thus the stimulus money created jobs on the Parkway, and in the equipment manufacturing plant in Detroit, the shovel factory in Atlanta, etc. Those business hired people who got paid and thus kept the stimulus going. Workers purchased goods with their earned money that was almost certainly American made. Thus the stimulus flowed throughout the entire economy.

Now consider what will happen today. A stimulus package to build a bridge. It will be awarded to a foreign national company who will use it to create a few jobs in the US to build the bridge but the bulk of the money will exit the American economy and go back to the home country. The materials will be purchased from the Japanese and the Chinese and maybe the Koreans.

The workers will take their money and buy a Japanese car, or maybe a nice HDTV from China, etc.. Thus their money will help sustain a retail job in the US and then exit the American economy and stimulate the Chinese Japanese Or Korean economy.

Because America produces next to nothing in this country, we cannot spend our way out of this mess like we did in the 1930's.

What the American economy needs is incentive to produce things in this country that will be desired by other Americans and people in other countries. Not more products produced by American companies in China (like Apple's iPod) but true quality, American products produced by American workers

Wow...that almost sounds like a union advertisement. Maybe they were right after all.

Pelosi Says "We Don't Need Republican Support" For The Stimulus Bill

So I assume she's fine with the Democrats taking the blame when it doesn't work? Meanwhile, the public seems to be siding more and more with the Republicans, as support for the bill has slipped 12% in the last 3 weeks. Now only 51% think it's a good idea.

This is a huge gamble for the Democrats that's likely to be a loser. If the economy gets better, they win and the Republicans look stupid. If the economy gets worse, they'll have a tough time making the case that it would have worked if we had just thrown a few more Trillion $'s down the drain.

Unemployment skyrockets & the DOW jumps too?

Seriously. Do you need any more evidence that the government is
manipulating the DJIA and S&P 500 stock prices? Every time bad news
comes out, both indexes shoot higher. And why not? The Kremlin
controls the rest of the economy as well.