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18 October 2008

Normal


Normal is getting dressed in clothes that you buy for work and driving through traffic in a car that you are still paying for - in order to get to the job you need to pay for the clothes and the car, and the house you leave vacant all day so you can afford to live in it.
  - 
Ellen Goodman

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17 October 2008

Election night



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Money and the Crisis of Civilization - Charles Eisenstein


Suppose you give me a million dollars with the instructions, "Investthis profitably, and I'll pay you well." I'm a sharp dresser -- whynot? So I go out onto the street and hand out stacks of bills to randompassers-by. Ten thousand dollars each. In return, each scribbles out anIOU for $20,000, payable in five years. I come back to you and say,"Look at these IOUs! I have generated a 20% annual return on yourinvestment." You are very pleased, and pay me an enormous commission.

Now I've got a big stack of IOUs, so I use these "assets" as collateralto borrow even more money, which I lend out to even more people, orsell them to others like myself who do the same. I also buy insuranceto cover me in case the borrowers default -- and I pay for it withthose self-same IOUs! Round and round it goes, each new loan becomingsomebody's asset on which to borrow yet more money. We all rake in hugecommissions and bonuses, as the total face value of all the assetswe've created from that initial million dollars is now fifty timesthat.

Continue .....

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16 October 2008

Compressed Air Car Has Backers, Detractors and a U.S. Production Date


The best minds in the auto industry are busy developing all sorts ofnew "green" vehicles powered by high-tech batteries, hydrogen fuelcells
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Air car proponent Guy Negre with prototype 3-seat MiniCat compressed-air car.http://blogs.edmunds.com/greencaradvisor/minicat-01-550x365.jpg
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and even advanced internal combustion engines sipping good old-fashioned gasoline or diesel fuels. Could they all be misguided?

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15 October 2008

This explains the financial meltdown......


What else do you want to know?


Download now or preview on posterous
Market Meltdown.pps (2435 KB)

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Lutfisk: En paradoxal raritet


Nu är det snart högsäsong för en av Sveriges mestkontroversiella delikatesser. Dallrande, mjäll, hal och med en säregenarom får lutfisken alla att rysa. En del av välbehag, andra av skräck.Jens Linder tar oss tillbaka till sin mormors källare där fisken låg pålut.

For further info, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lutefisk

Recept: Luta fisk: Så funkar det

Receptmakare: Jens Linder

Portioner: ca 10 portioner (5 kg färdig fisk)

Traditionellt påbörjar man lutningen påAnna-dagen den 9 december så att fisken hinner bli klar i tid till jul.Urvattningen med dagliga vattenbyten kräver en hel del tålamod.Eftersom soda är lätt frätande bör man vara försiktig och eventuelltanvända skyddshandskar när man lutar.

  • 1 kg torkad långa eller sej
  • vatten till blötläggning
  • 250 g släckt kalk
  • 100 g soda till sej eller 150 g soda till långa
  • 6–7 liter vatten
  1. Såga eller skär den torkade fisken i stora bitar och borsta bitarna med hård borste.
  2. Blötlägg bitarna i 5–6 dagar i ett rymligt rostfritt kärl. Byt vatten varje dag.
  3. Töm ut vattnet och strö ett lager kalk i botten på kärlet. Varva kalk och fiskbitar (med skinnsidan upp). Lägg kalk överst.
  4. Värm lite av vattnet och lös upp sodan i det. Häll i resten avvattnet. Låt kallna. Häll denna lutblandning över fisken. Se till attdet täcker. Låt fisken ligga i luten i 5 dagar.
  5. När fisken är så mjuk att man lätt kan sticka ett finger genom denär den färdiglutad. Skölj den då och lägg den i kallt vatten i 5–7dagar. Byt vatten varje dag.
  6. Provkoka gärna en bit. Om den är för lös när den kokats är det förmycket lut kvar i fisken. Då måste den ligga i vatten lite längre tid.Är den för hård har den vattnats ur för länge. I så fall får man läggabitarna i vatten med lite upplöst soda igen.



















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14 October 2008

MSNBC Countdown


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Svartling Network


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Prix Nobel : les lauréats 2008


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It’s the Un-American, Stupid



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Här är finanskrisens offer


Dagens Industri

Banker och investmentjättar har fallit som furorunder den tumultartade finansfrossa som spridit sig över världen. Härär listan över de bolag som försvunnit, förstatligats eller gått omkullunder krisen under den senaste tiden.
Slakten i finansbranschen börjadeegentligen redan med brittiska Northern Rock, som nationaliserades ibörjan av 2008 efter att först ha tvingats till nödkrediter imångmiljardklassen. Sedan dess har finansjättarna gått omkull ellerdrivits till radikala omstruktureringar en efter en.

Bolånekrisens första storaamerikanska offer blev Bear Sterns. Fram till i slutet av 2007 hadebanken inte gått med förlust under ett enda kvartal, men under vårendrogs rullgardinen plötsligt ned. På bara någon vecka försvann närmare90 procent av Bear Sterns likvida tillgångar. Trots nödlån från denamerikanska centralbanken kollapsade till slut investmentbanken och islutet av maj köptes resterna av Bear Sterns av JP Morgan Chase förknappt 10 miljarder kronor.

I slutet av september föllsparbanken Washington Mutual, eller Wamu, efter att en massflykt avbankens kunder. Detta innebar den största bankkollapsen någonsin i USA.Wamu har köpts upp av investmentbanken JP Morgan Chase för vad som barakan räknas som en spottstyver, 12 miljarder kronor.

Det tyngsta namnetatt hamna under bilan under krisen är Lehman Brothers. Bolaget undvekvisserligen att raderas ut genom att ansöka om konkursskydd, menstyckades därefter upp. Japanska Nomura tog över de asiatiska ocheuropeiska delarna av bolaget medan Barclays köpte den amerikanskaverksamheten.

Konkurrenten Merrill Lynch tvingades tillnedskrivningar på sammanlagt 52 miljarder dollar eller 368 miljarderkronor efter bolånekrisen, enligt Bloombergs sammanställningar. Imitten av september såldes bolaget till Bank of America.

Morgan Stanley tillhörvisserligen de forna investmentbanker som hittills har klarat sig genomkrisen. Bolaget har dock tvingats att sälja 20 procent av aktierna tilljapanska Mitsubishi. Liksom Goldman Sachs har Morgan Stanley övergåttfrån att vara investmentbank till att få bankstatus för att kunnaöverleva. De stora bolåneinstituten Fannie Mae och Freddie Mac harockså överlevt tack vare statliga interventioner.

Det finns dockflera amerikanska banker som har legat med huvudet på stupstocken.Wachovias öde har just avgjorts efter en dragkamp mellan Wells Fargooch Citigroup där den förra avgick med segern och nu köper upp Wachovia.

Även i Europahar situationen varit prekär. I Storbritannien har regeringen tagitöver kontrollen i storbanker som Royal Bank of Scotland och HBOS.Samtidigt har Lloyds TBS fått ett statligt kapitaltillskott medanBarclays, som är landets näst största bank, hoppas kunna klara sig utanstatlig hjälp genom en nyemission på 80 miljarder kronor.

Norden har fåttett par hårda slängar av sleven. Islands alla tre forna finansstorheterkontrolleras numera alla av den isländska staten. Kaupthing, Landsbankioch Glitnir styrs sedan av den isländska finansinspektionen. Detta harskett efter en omfattande räddningsaktion av landets regering. Enbartövertagandet av Glitnir kostar statskassan 5,8 miljarder kronor. IDanmark har staten tagit över Roskilde Bank, som var på väg att gåomkull.

Den tyska banken IKB räddades på ett liknandesätt genom att få 8 miljarder euro eller 78 miljarder euro från dentyska regeringen. Än värre har det varit för finansföretaget Hypo, somklarat sig tack vare krediter på 485 miljarder kronor. Den tyskaregeringen erbjöd på måndagen 500 miljarder euro eller 4.850 miljarderkronor i krishjälp till det sargade bankväsendet.

I Schweiz har storbankenUBS visserligen rett ut krisen, men vd Marcel Ospel har tvingats avgåsamtidigt som kassan fyllts på med 95 miljarder kronor frånaktieägarna.

Finansbolagen som har drabbats hårdast av krisen:
Bolag:Land:
AIGUSA
BarclaysStorbritannien
Bear SternsUSA
BonusbankenDanmark
DexiaBelgien/Frankrike
Ebh BankDanmark
Fannie MaeUSA
Freddie MacUSA
GlitnirIsland
Goldman SachsUSA
HBOSStorbritannien
HypoTyskland
IKBTyskland
KaupthingIsland
LandsbankiIsland
Lehman BrothersUSA
Lloyds TBSStorbritannien
Merrill LynchUSA
Morgan StanleyUSA
Northern RockStorbritannien
Roskilde BankDanmark
Royal Bank of ScotlandStorbritannien
UBSSchweiz
WachoviaUSA
Washington MutualUSA


FOTNOT: Listan inkluderar endast bolag som tvingats tillomstruktureringar, försäljningar eller förstatligande till följd avfinanskrisen. Bolag som enbart gjort stora nedskrivningar till följd avkreditförluster ingår ej.

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Amazing! Bird sounds from the lyre bird - David Attenborough - BBC wildlife



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I Hate Nature



I Hate Nature from Olde English Comedy on Vimeo

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13 October 2008

Paul Krugman wins the Nobel Prize


ECONOMIST Paul Krugman, a fierce critic of the Bush Administration, has won the 2009 Nobel prize for economics.
Read about Paul Krugman in the "Marginal Revolution - Small steps toward a much better world".

http://i.realone.com/assets/rn/img/4/0/1/4/17144104-17144107-slarge.jpg

Mr. Krugman received the award for his work on international trade andeconomic geography. In particular, the prize committee lauded his workfor "having shown the effects of economies of scale on trade patternsand on the location of economic activity." He has developed models thatexplain observed patterns of trade between countries, as well as whatgoods are produced where and why. Traditional trade theory assumes thatcountries are different and will exchange different kinds of goods witheach other; Mr. Krugman's theories have explained why worldwide tradeis dominated by a few countries that are similar to each other, and whysome countries might import the same kinds of goods that it exports.

Krugman's theory shows that globalisation tends to increase pressureson urban living, sucking people into centres of concentration."Krugman's theories have shown that the outcome of these processes canwell be that regions become divided into a high-technology urbanisedcore and a less developed periphery," the jury said.

The Paul Krugman blog.

In view of the current situation, watch this.
Below, the Authors@Google event took place December 14, 2007 at Google Headquarters in Mountain View, CA.



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Brutal


Here is a one-month stock chart comparing Apple (down 40 percent), Google (down 20 percent), Yahoo (ditto), and Microsoft (down about 10 percent). Microsoft is holding up best. If Yahoo keeps diving, what next?


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12 October 2008

Meet Sarah Palin’s radical right-wing pals


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How This Bear Market Compares


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9 Sexiest Electric Cars from the Paris Auto Show


This year's Paris Auto Showis turning out to be the most electrifying one yet, with car makersfrom all over the world debuting their electric vehicles. The offeringsrange from far-flung concept cars to very real production models. Solarroofs are a popular theme and lithium-ion battery packs abound. Whileit will take years to get the world's cars off petroleum, electrictransportation is imminent and the showing in Paris offers a glimpse ofwhat that will look like.

Venturi - Volage

Monaco-based luxury vehicle maker Venturi Automobilesteamed up with French tire giant Michelin to develop the Volage, atricked-out electric roadster that sports eight electric motors, two ineach wheel. The curvaceous, carbon-fiber bodied vehicle rocks a numberof cutting-edge digital features like Michelin's "active wheel"technology and a touchscreen dashboard. Read more of our Volagecoverage here.

PSA Peugeot Citroën & Venturi - Berlingo First

Venturi developed a compact electric power train, electric motor andbattery pack so that the electric Berlingo First has the same volumeand payload as Citroën's petrol-based Berlingo. This is importantbecause this electric version will be delivering mail in 15 of France'slargest cities soon. The French postal service has commissioned 500 ofthe vehicles and has the option to order up to 10,000 over the nextfive years.

Renault - Z.E. Concept

Based on Renault's Kangoo be bop, the Z.E., which stands for "ZeroEmissions," has a number of features designed to extend the car'slithium-ion batteries. The body is designed like a thermos, using twoinsulating panels with a sandwich of air in between, to keep you warmand cozy inside your car. On sunny days, solar panels on the roof run a"temperature regulation system" that controls the AC. Read more of ourZ.E. coverage here.

Chevrolet - Volt

The Paris Auto Show has also served as the Chevy Volt's international coming-out party, and critics agree — the car looks much better in person than it does in those "leaked" photos. No word yet on whose batteries will power the Volt.

Daimler & Smart - smart fortwo ed

Smart celebrated its tenth birthday with the introduction of itssmart fortwo ed, for "electric drive." It is an all-electric version ofits petrol-powered smart fortwo coupe. The electric vehicle will bepart of Daimler's "e-mobility Berlin"program, which will see more than 100 of the electric cars zip aroundthe German capital and charge up at some 500 plug-in points to beinstalled by utility partner RWE by 2010.

Nissan - Nuvu

Nissan hopes it's Nuvu will offer a "new view" of urban transit. TheNuvu can hit 75 miles per hour and gets a range of 80 miles on itslithium-ion batteries. The car has an arboreal theme includingleaf-shaped solar panels on the roof and a structural pillar inside thecar that Nissan calls a "tree trunk." It's a concept car, so don'texpect a launch date, but Nissan says the car uses EV technology thatwill be seen in its commercial electric offerings in 2010.

Pininfarina - B0 (B Zero)

Italian automaker Pininfarina has teamed up with French conglomerateBolloré to make the B0, a mass-produced electric vehicle. The firstunits should roll off the production at the end of 2009. The car willbe powered by Bolloré's proprietary energy storage technology, using acombination of batteries and supercapacitors which will be partially recharged by the solar panels on the roof.

China Automobile - Chika

Designed by Chinese car stylist Li Shi Guang Ming, the Chika, or "Xiaoya," comes with either lead acid or lithium-ion batteries and only travels 28 miles per hour. But as Gizmag notes,this vehicle represents a very original design and could shed someinsight into the future of the Chinese auto industry, especially at anauto show that otherwise saw very few cars from the People's Republic.

Audi/Volkswagen - VW Up! (Maybe)

Reacting to rumorsthat BMW is planning on debuting an electric version of the MINI at theL.A. Motor Show next month, Audi board member Peter Schwarzenbauer hasconfirmed that the German automaker will build its own electric car."We will offer a pure electric car," Schwarzenbauer told Autocar, but added the small electric Audi "will not be based on the A1." A likely electric candidate is the VW Up! which could be renamed the Lupo and hit the roads in 2011.

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