Clipmarks | ericskiff's Pops

AMERICAS ECONOMY IN A NUTSHELL

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 04:08:31 GMT

clipped by: klippety
clipper's remarks: Whats left will fit neatly into a nutshell

Stocks plummet 10:12pm ET

Panic over the global financial system knocked Asian stocks again after the Dow hit below 10,000 for the first time in four years. Full Article | Video

U.S. calls for unity as markets dive

Savers run at the click of a mouse

Timeline: Mayhem strikes markets

Full Coverage: Markets

Full Coverage: Crisis in Credit

Global Environment summit

Grim prospects

A global pact to tackle global warming is in trouble and could end in disastrous failure as rich countries fail to deliver on promises, an expert warns. Full Article | Full Coverage

Risks mount for global warming fight

Crisis hammers stocks, U.S. urges unified response | Video

Wachovia, Citi, Wells Fargo to halt litigation | Video

Insurance chief says AIG bailout was unavoidable

Fed's Bullard: Rate cuts not the solution

Bank savers run at the click of a mouse

Tax rule change may spur bank deals, experts say

Bailout bust

The bank bailout hasn't restored investor confidence because it does only half the job,

A Mac "upgrade"

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 04:14:08 GMT

clipped by: Kenji Oka

Clip Source: apina.biz

Florida Law May Disenfranchise New Voters

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 04:23:14 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: www.cbsnews.com

the state's stringent fraud prevention laws may keep some of those newly registered voters - and many others - from casting their ballots.

The sheer volume of new voter registration applications, along with the state's so-called "no match, no vote law" has election observers worried that one mistyped number could disqualify a ballot.

For the first time, Florida law requires a voter's driver's license or social security number to match a state or federal database. It's done to prevent fraud. Several other swing states have similar laws, but none as strict as Florida's.

"Already we've seen that over 5,000 people, as of this last Monday, have had their voter registration applications rejected," says Tova Wang of Common Cause. "The county administrators admit that it's because of mistakes like typos and variations on people's names."

Local election officials say they're trying to clear up the problems before Nov. 4.

Tags: politics, vote, florida, registration, law, election

Iceland is economically collapsing today

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 04:24:27 GMT

clipped by: kentcanoy
clipper's remarks: This is important stuff and an example of what can happen.

Clip Source: www.kitcomm.com

News update from Iceland:

- Government in crisis meetings every day and night, with representatives from the IMF, all the banks and the central bank.

- Cost of insuring debt of Icelandic banks has skyrocketed to over 6,000 points.

- Run on the banks today. People are hoarding foreign currencies. Banks are now rationing dollars and euros. Some banks have run out.

- CEO of one of the oil companies says there are not enough dollars to buy and import more oil. Reserves will last for a month if no hoarding.

- Manager of the biggest low-cost grocery store chain has said there is not enough currency to import more food.

- People are hoarding food.

- Stress levels are at a peak!

Building an Eco-Friendly Cob House

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 04:38:32 GMT

clipped by: infopunk

Clip Source: greenbuildingelements.com

What is cob?

Cob building dates back hundreds of years ago, and cob houses built over 500 years ago in Europe are still inhabited to this day.

buckets of wet clay and sand are mixed by foot (or by horse, oxen, concrete mixer, or even Bobcat excavators) and then combined with straw to produce a sticky, malleable material that can be rolled into palm-sized loaves (or “cobs”, which is where the name originated) and then laid onto a foundation and sculpted by hand to build thick and massive cob walls

The properties of cob

When cob dries, it resembles rock or concrete in its hardness. With a nice thick coat of plaster, cob can withstand significant weathering before it starts to (slowly) wear away.

Cob has better “thermal mass“, which means it is capable of capturing and storing large amounts of heat.

Cob: beautiful and environmental

Cobbing is simple and cooperative

Where to learn more about cob

the Cob Cottage Company and House Alive!, both based in Oregon

Tags: house, cob house, eco-friendly

Obama Hatred at McCain-Palin Rallies: "Terrorist!" "Kill Him!"

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 05:01:01 GMT

clipped by: zizzy

Clip Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

McCain was speaking today in New Mexico, doing his usual personal attack on Barack Obama, as the stock market plummeted (you can see the ticker next to McCain on the screen, an apt reminder of what McCain and his fellow Republicans represent), and McCain asked the crowd "who is Barack Obama?" Immediately you hear someone yell "terrorist." McCain pauses, the audience laughs, and McCain continues on, not acknowledging, not chastising, not correcting

[Video]

Judging by McCain's slightly startled reaction, he clearly didn't anticipate that reaction, and McCain's in no way responsible for the utterances of anybody in his audience. But he must have some idea of how deeply this fear/outsider/other meme has spread

UPDATE: The Washington Post reports on a similar moment at a Palin rally today:

Now it turns out, one of his earliest supporters is a man named Bill Ayers," Palin said

"Kill him!" proposed one man in the audience.

Stocks Approach a Grim Milestone

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:19:02 GMT

clipped by: RayWatkins
clipper's remarks: By David Leonhardt

Clip Source: economix.blogs.nytimes.com

At 2:15 this afternoon, the Standard & Poor 500-stock index was trading around 1,026. That left it 47 percent below its inflation-adjusted high, which it hit in the summer of 2000. If shares keep falling and the index hits 967, it will be a remarkable 50 percent below its peak. That has happened only two other times since 1929 — during the Great Depression and during the 1970s.

It is easy to overlook just how steep the decline in stocks has been in the last eight years. Stock prices and indexes tend to be described in nominal terms, rather than inflation-adjusted terms. (In nominal terms, the S.&P. 500 is down about 30 percent from its peak.) But it makes much more sense to adjust share prices for inflation, just as it makes sense to adjust the price of just about anything — food, houses, incomes — for inflation.

Worst-case scenario is approaching rapidly

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 17:10:57 GMT

clipped by: sunstreak509

Clip Source: business.timesonline.co.uk

The credit crisis, which has been building slowly for the past year, is now moving so fast that governments around the world are finding it impossible to keep pace.

On Saturday Angela Merkel, the German leader, criticised last week’s decision by the Irish to guarantee all deposits in their leading banks without consulting other European countries. The Irish Government said that the move was forced on it by the threat of a run on one of its banks. Only a day later Ms Merkel was forced to take almost the same action in almost the same circumstances.

Tags: economy, business, markets

Icahn Wins. Lilly Buys ImClone

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:28:33 GMT

clipped by: Matthew Herper
clipper's remarks: Will be interesting to see if Bristol tries to counter. Probably not.

Clip Source: phx.corporate-ir.net

Lilly to Acquire ImClone Systems in $6.5 Billion Transaction

This strategic combination will create one of the leading oncology franchises in the biopharmaceutical industry, offering both targeted therapies and oncolytic agents along with a pipeline spanning all phases of clinical development.

The real Americans

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:58:31 GMT

clipped by: lifecyce1898
clipper's remarks: It seems her #1 job is to continue the illusion that the ultimate elitist party, the party of CEO and wall street fat cats is really the party of average America disparagingly cast as Joe and Jane six pack, too ignorant and uneducated to notice the phoniness. Ignore the 100000000 bank account, 10 homes and 13 cars, McCain represents the working American. What a crock of sh**!!

Clip Source: www.latimes.com

As Sarah Palin "aw-shucks-ed" her way through Thursday's debate, she repeatedly played the one card that has become her stock in trade: She is a real American. Her rural roots, her lack of sophistication and worldliness, her bare bones education, her plain-spokenness, her moose hunting -- all of these seemed to brand her as a typical American, one of us us. She has even taken to calling herself Jane Sixpack.

This characterization, ludicrous as it may be in a country as diverse as ours, is more than a matter of political aesthetics. One of the most important components of our recent presidential elections is the redefinition -- actually the narrowing of the definition -- of what constitutes an American.

One of the first national icons was Daniel Boone -- uneducated, adventurous, a man of action rather than intellect who, in his buckskins, couldn't have been more different from the typical Englishman

Gbridge - it seems interesting

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:04:27 GMT

clipped by: Fast T friend
clipper's remarks: Anyone with experience is welcome to comment

Clip Source: www.gbridge.com

What is Gbridge

Gbridge is a free software that lets you sync folders, share files, chat and VNC securely and easily. It extends Google's gtalk service to a VPN (Virtual Private Network) that connects your computers and your close friends' computers directly and securely. Gbridge has many unique features.

DesktopShare(VNC): Access your computer desktop remotely or share your desktop with your friend from anywhere, even behind NAT!

Securely share files among your own computers,

AutoSync

Transfer big files and sync folders from/to anywhere has never been easier.

EasyBackup

Setup an auto-recurring local or remote backup of your important directory is as easy as 1-2-3!

Gbridge automatically forms a VPN among your multiple PCs no matter where they are. You can also extend the VPN to include your Gtalk friend's PCs if both sides allow.

Tags: virtual, private, net

Plug-In Hybrids Aren't Coming — They're Here

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:10:55 GMT

clipped by: rmowery

Clip Source: blog.wired.com

Plug-In Hybrids Aren't Coming — They're Here

Everything about Alison Gannett is green, from her straw-bale house to her solar-powered appliances. But when you're as serious about curbing carbon as she is, a mere hybrid won't do. That's why she spent $35,000 to install an extension cord on her Ford Escape Hybrid.

She is among a small but vocal — and growing — number of people who aren't waiting for automakers to deliver plug-in hybrids. These early adopters are shelling out big money to have already thrifty cars like the Toyota Prius and Ford Escape Hybrid converted into full-on plug-in hybrids capable of triple-digit fuel economy. "I love watching the mileage go up," says Gannett, a world champion extreme skier and dedicated eco-evangelist. "The highest I have gotten is 232 mpg. I average around 80-100 mpg."

Tags: fuel, energy, hybrids, green, ecology, environment

Digado - Digital Adoption

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:19:38 GMT

clipped by: Fast T friend

Clip Source: digado.nl

Digado stands for Digital Adoption. Its the scenario I think will be most relevant for the future of the metaverse. A generation that regards 3d as a ‘natural environment’. The Xbox, playstation and PC generation. They will adopt the 3d worlds and see the benefits of the digital distribution, communication, education, information and entertainment as something that has always been part of their lives.

This blog lists my research, opinion and news regarding ‘the Metaverse’. A word I define as being a Virtual, Social Network. The goal of this network can be anything from entertainment (gaming worlds such as World of Warcraft), business and creativity (Second Life) all the way down to simply connecting people in a customizable environment (Cyworld).

The question that Digado tries to answer is ‘how can we use Virtual Worlds in a realistic, meaningful way for the businesses of today and tomorrow’.

Tags: metaverse, virtual, business, social, digital

Online Identity tools

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:35:48 GMT

clipped by: Fast T friend
clipper's remarks: and lot's more

Clip Source: mashable.com

claimID.com - Works along with openID to verigy your identity across multiple websites.

FindMeOn.com - Not only can you link all of your networks together, you can verify your identity so people know which profiles are you.

FreeYourID.com - You are assigned a .name address you use to sign up for sites with and it then verifies you with OpenID and you determine how much the site learns about you.

Garlik.com - It searches the web for mentions of you and helps you manage them in the hopes of stopping identity theft.

MyOpenID.com - Gives you a universal username and password to use on openID enabled websites, giving you better management over your identity.

Spyshakers.com - An Identity Management System what allows users to access their favorite websites and passwords from any computer.

Sxip.com - OpenID for Java and a Firefox plugin under development named Sxipper and work with openID.

Online Reputation Management

FakeBreaker.com

Naymz.com

Rapleaf.com

Tags: net, web, identity, tools

The United States Civil Flag of Peacetime

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:16:30 GMT

clipped by: sahara
clipper's remarks: This flag was in the previous video clip I did, I was curious about the background, so here it is. Nice to know. Very nice too.

Clip Source: www.barefootsworld.net

The United States Civil Flag of Peacetime

We the People of the United States,
actually have two national flags, a military flag and a civil flag for peacetime.
They have several important distinctions and meanings.

Almost all Americans think of the Stars and Stripes "Old Glory" as their only flag.

And IT IS BEAUTIFUL!!

Through usage and custom, horizontal stripes had become adopted for use over military posts, and vertical stripes adopted for use over civilian establishments. The Civil Flag, intended for peacetime usage in custom house civilian settings, had vertical stripes with blue stars on a white field. By the Law of the Flag, this design denoted civil jurisdiction under the Constitution and common law as opposed to military jurisdiction under admiralty/military law.

Although intended just for Customs house usage, the new Civil Flag became adopted by both customhouses and merchants, and others who could afford them, to show their civilian nature and not under military control.

Tags: us, flag, history