Archive for June, 2008
U.S. Crop Damage from Weather Tops $8 Billion
June 26th, 2008Via: Reuters: From the worst floods in the Midwest grain belt in 15 years to drought in California, damage to crops from inclement weather has topped $8 billion so far this year, the largest U.S. farm group said on Wednesday. The damage could rise or contract, depending on weather conditions for the rest of the […]
Is Britain on the Slippery Slope to Dictatorship?
June 26th, 2008Falling headfirst into the abyss would be more accurate. Via: Guardian: Aesthetically, at any rate, it does feel as if some of our science fiction dystopias are gradually coming true. In an estate near me, George Orwell’s CCTV cameras are actually trained on the residents’ doors and driveways. Ray Bradbury’s wall-sized TVs flicker in small […]
Supreme Court Consults Captain Obvious on Second Amendment
June 26th, 2008Self defense and hunting… HA. Yeah right. Self defense against, and hunting of fascists is more like it. Via: AP: The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Americans have a right to own guns for self-defense and hunting, the justices’ first major pronouncement on gun rights in U.S. history. The court’s 5-4 ruling struck down the […]
Gold Sharply Higher
June 26th, 2008Via: Market Watch: Gold futures rallied to a one-month high on Thursday boosted by weakness in the U.S. dollar, as other metals futures also posted strong gains. Gold for August delivery rose $29.70 to $912 an ounce on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The precious metal earlier hit an intraday high of $914.50 an ounce, […]
Supreme Court Cuts Exxon Punitive Damages for Valdez Oil Spill by 80%
June 26th, 2008Via: San Francisco Chronicle: The Supreme Court, winding up a term of victories for businesses, cut punitive damages for Alaskans harmed by the Exxon Valdez oil spill by 80 percent today in a ruling that may signal new limits on damage awards for victims of corporate wrongdoing. In a 5-3 decision, the justices reduced punitive […]
You Know You’ve Been Living In the City Too Long When…
June 25th, 2008Via: Salon: For years, Bean enacted small-scale revenge, breaking in to stop the alarms or letting air out of tires. One night in the early ’90s, an alarm sounded for more than four hours outside his apartment at 97th Street and West End. By the time Bean broke into the car, the vehicle was covered […]
New “Intelligent” CCTV Cameras Can See and Hear
June 25th, 2008One camera for every 14 people in the UK. Via: Telegraph: Researchers hope the smart cameras will have a dramatic impact on crime detection and prevention by cutting response times and ensuring that more incidents are caught on tape. A team at the University of Portsmouth has already developed software which enables cameras to spot […]
U.S. Retailers to Close Hundreds of Stores
June 25th, 2008Via: Inquirer: HIGH AND RISING world oil and food prices, the implosion of the US housing bubble and the ensuing consumer credit vapour lock have cash-strapped US consumers staying out of retail stores in droves, and this is forcing dozens of US retailers to close hundreds of stores. Information technology related companies that are closing […]
UK Will Allow Anonymous Witnesses in Some Court Cases
June 25th, 2008Anonymous witnesses. Anonymous evidence. Double plus good. Via: BBC: The government has vowed to change the law to allow anonymous witnesses in some court cases after a key Law Lords ruling effectively halted the practice. Justice Secretary Jack Straw said there was a real need for some witnesses to have their identities protected. Mr Straw […]
House Energy and Commerce Committee Testemony: Gas Could Fall to $2 if Congress Imposed Limits on Speculators; Speculation Now Accounts for About 70% of All Benchmark Crude Trading on NYMEX
June 24th, 2008It is absolute madness that commodities are bought and sold using leveraged vehicles in markets that allow participation by speculators; individuals and organizations who have no interest or connection to the underlying physical commodity. —Cryptogon, March 21, 2008 You know, I wrote something that turned out to be wrong in that piece above: Pigs (Pork […]
