Sarcastically Yours

What Bernanke Didn't Say About Housing - Bloomberg

Ford C-Max Hybrid falls well short in careful <i>CleanMPG</i> economy test, beat by Toyota Prius V : Filed under: Hybrid , MPG The grain of salt one should take this post with is that Wayne Gerdes is just one man, and that his personal test results may not be applicable to everyone. Still, Gerdes is well-known in the green car community - his Guinness World Record for lowest fuel consumption in a hybrid and his position as owner of CleanMPG are just two good reasons - so when he and his crew tested a Ford C-Max Hybrid, the results are worth paying attention to. Turns out, they couldn't get anywhere near the EPA's claimed efficiency numbers . Already the subject of a class action lawsuit over fuel economy claims, the C-Max Hybrid officially gets 47 miles per gallon across all three of the EPA's test categories (city/highway/combined). Plenty of people have questioned whether 47 mpg is an accurate real-world number, and Gerdes' discovered that...

Consumer Spending Drought: 16 Signs That The Middle Class Is Running Out Of Money : Is "discretionary income" rapidly becoming a thing of the past for most American families?  Right now, there are a lot of signs that we are on the verge of a nightmarish consumer spending drought.  Incomes are down, taxes are up, many large retail chains are deeply struggling because of the lack of customers, and at this point nearly a quarter of all Americans have more credit card debt than money in the bank.  Considering the fact that consumer spending is such a large percentage of the U.S. economy, that is very bad news.  How will we ever have a sustained economic recovery if consumers don't have much money to spend?  Well, the truth is that we aren't ever going to have a sustained economic recovery.  In fact, this debt-fueled bubble of false hope that we are experiencing right now is as good as things are going to get.  Things are going to go downhill from here, a...

Do people want a smaller tablet or just want a cheaper option? ~~~ iPad Mini Sales Overtaking iPad Sales Faster Than Apple Expected : Sales of the iPad mini are cannibalizing sales of the iPad, according to a report from NPD DisplaySearch. January shipments of tablet panels between 7 and 9 inches eclipsed shipments of larger panels, indicating an unexpected shift in consumer preference for a smaller form factor tablet. Shipments of 9.7-inch panels (the iPad) fell from 7.4 million in December to 1.3 million in January, while shipments of 7.9-inch panels (the iPad mini) rose to over 5 million. Smaller tablet panels, including those used for the iPad mini, the Kindle Fire, and the Google Nexus, saw total shipments of 14 million. In December, NPD estimated that Apple would sell 40 million iPads minis and 60 million iPads during 2013, but the January sales numbers suggest that the mini will outsell the iPad. As we noted in December, Apple had planned to sell 40M iPad minis (7.9...

Live Out Your Gambit Fantasies With a Set of Sharpened Steel Throwing Cards : You can try as hard as you want, but a set of adamantium claws are never going to spring forth from your hands. Nor will you ever be able to control the weather, fly, teleport, or read someone's mind. The closest you'll ever get to being a real-life X-Men is mastering this set of steel throwing cards like Gambit, minus the fireworks and bō. More »

Prehistoric Man Had Much Healthier Teeth and Gums than Modern Humans : The REAL Source of Cavities and Gum Disease Our modern stereotype is that – until recently – people were plagued with rotting teeth, cavities and gum disease. But the truth is that prehistoric people had much better oral health than we do today. As NPR reports : Prehistoric humans didn’t have toothbrushes. They didn’t have floss or toothpaste , and they certainly didn’t have Listerine. Yet somehow, their mouths were a lot healthier than ours are today . “ Hunter-gatherers had really good teeth ,” says Alan Cooper , director of the Australian Centre for Ancient DNA. “ [But] as soon as you get to farming populations, you see this massive change. Huge amounts of gum disease. And cavities start cropping up .” And thousands of years later, we’re still waging, and often losing, our war against oral disease . Our changing diets are largely to blame. In a study published in the latest Nature Genetics, Cooper and...

Inflation Is the Legacy of the Federal Reserve : Federal Reserve Policy Has Levied a Hidden Tax On All Americans Bloomberg asks whether inflation is the legacy of the Fed: The answer is clearly YES. The dollar’s purchasing power has plummeted from 1913 – the year the Fed was created – to 2005: It’s only gotten worse since then: (Image courtesy of Charles Goyette.) Indeed, the Fed’s policy-making body (the Federal Open Market Committee) explicitly stated in 2012 that it’s goal was to devalue the dollar by another 33% . A devalued dollar equals inflation.  Specifically, when the dollar is worth less, more dollars are required to by the same item. In testimony this week, Bernanke said that he has done a great job of keeping inflation under check.  But there is a tremendous amount of hidden inflation caused by Mr. Bernanke’s policies: (Image courtesy of Charles Goyette.) Surely, though, inflation is a good thing … as it will get us out of our economic doldru...

Obama plans to urge end to Prop. 8 gay-marriage ban : WASHINGTON – The Obama administration on Thursday planned to urge the Supreme Court to strike down California's ban on gay marriage, a case that could have sweeping implications for the right of same-sex couples to wed. The administration's...

I can't believe the GOP's idea was to give the President more budgetary powers. ~~~ GOP and Democratic sequester bills both fail in Senate

New approach for Iran at nuclear talks : Lyse Doucet assesses Iran's new tactics at nuclear talks

Time to get out of Dodge before his complicity in the sex cover-ups comes more into light. ~~~ Pope Benedict XVI leaves Vatican : Benedict XVI leaves the Vatican on his final day as Pope, saying he "will simply be a pilgrim" starting his last journey on earth.

Manning guilty plea on some charges : Bradley Manning, the US Army private accused in the Wikileaks case, pleads guilty to lesser charges but may still be prosecuted for aiding the enemy.

Jimmy Kimmel extends olive branch to Morrissey; Russell Brand also tweets about trying to get Morrissey as a guest : Jimmy Kimmel Extends Olive Branch to Morrissey - Billboard Excerpt: "On Wednesday's show, he again addressed the tiff in his opening monologue. "This has nothing to do with people who eat meat versus people who don't," he said. "I’m completely respectful of people who do not eat meat, but the statement he made is ridiculous. I'd like to invite him to join the show to discuss. I'm an open, even-handed person, and I consider all points of view." Kimmel repeated that last

Morrissey Q&A With The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Feb 2013 : Morrissey on Smiths Reunion, Label Woes and Why Paul McCartney Should 'Return His Knighthood' (Exclusive Q&A) - The Hollywood Reporter 3:35 PM PST 2/27/2013 by Tracey Davenport He worships Kirk Douglas, despises the Queen, and one-upped the Beatles legend by making his sold-out Staples Center show meat-free -- but why can't this superstar land a record deal?

"Morrissey Slams Jimmy Kimmel, Accuses Him of Making Fun of Gun Control, Depression, Obesity" - Pitchfork : morrissey sides with morrissey.... pitchfork are running with moz's recent comments about last nights show Morrissey Slams Jimmy Kimmel, Accuses Him of Making Fun of Gun Control, Depression, Obesity - Pitchfork Excerpt: Morrissey has now issued the following statement in response to Kimmel: 'I was disappointed with last night’s Jimmy Kimmel Show wherein our smiling host managed to ridicule depression (70% of Americans suffer from depression according

And I'll start a letter-writing campaign to PREVENT a 3rd movie. ~~~ David Duchovny Urges 'X Files' Fans to Start Letter-Writing Campaign for 3rd Movie (Video) : "I'll play Fox Mulder forever," the actor says on Wednesday's "Tonight Show." read more

Sort of spoils/confirms certain aspects from the Extremis storyline. ~~~ 'Iron Man 3' Poster Reveals Armored Army : Robert Downey Jr.'s latest superhero film hits theaters May 3. read more

Video: Watch this shocking car transporter crash captured on dashcam : Filed under: Videos What you see above is a pedestrian crossing the road at a red light while an out-of-control car transporter approaches the intersection at full speed. Caught by a dashcam in an unknown location, it looks like the truck driver saw the red light too late and the icy road prevented him from even having a chance to stop at the light. We don't want to spoil the ending for you, but we will point out that had the pedestrian crossing the street been paying as little attention as the truck driver, this story would have had a much worse ending. Scroll down to watch the video. Continue reading Watch this shocking car transporter crash captured on dashcam

Time Is Running Out on Apple's iTV : The consumer tech darling can't wait for the future it wants.

It's Time to Get Serious About China. Seriously. : China just overtook the U.S. as the largest mobile market, and there's no going back.

Bob Woodward: White House said I would ‘regret’ it if I pursued the story

Superhero Deaths Are Meaningless : Superhero Deaths Are Meaningless

Inside Obama's Struggle to Stop An Iranian Nuke : Inside Obama's Struggle to Stop An Iranian Nuke

Did U.S. Commit Atrocities in a Key Afghan Province? : The Karzai government has decreed that the American commandos cease operations in Wardak. But it isn't quite clear what exactly happened there -- and who is being accused.

Here's How AT&T Is Planning to Rob Americans of an Open Public Telco Network : AT&T has a sneaky plan. It wants to exploit a loophole in the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)?s rules to kill what remains of the public telecommunications network -- and all of the consumer protections that go with it.

The Friendster Autopsy: How a Social Network Dies : What kills a social network? A group of internet archeologists have picked over the digital bones of Friendster ? the pioneering social networking site that drowned in Facebook?s wake ? and we now have a clearer picture of its epic collapse.

Consumer debt rises in fourth quarter for first time in 4 years: NY Fed : NEW YORK (Reuters) - Consumer debt rose in the final months of 2012 for the first time in four years, a sign that Americans may be starting to reach the end of cutting back on credit, data from the New York Federal Reserve showed on Thursday.

Apple, Facebook, Google: Same-sex marriage 'a business imperative' : HP's Whitman and top GOPpers also prod Supremes on marriage equality Apple, Facebook, Intel, Google, Oracle, Cisco, Verizon, eBay, and Qualcomm are among at least 60 top US companies that will file a brief with the US Supreme Court in support of the plaintiffs in a case that seeks to invalidate as unconstitutional laws banning same-sex marriages.…

Woman Who Smoked Through Voicebox For Haunting Anti-Smoking PSA Dies : Deborah "Debi" Austin, who became famous for taking a drag on a cigarette through her voicebox in a powerful anti-smoking PSA in the 1990's, died last week at the age of 62. In the unforgettable PSA, Austin says in her raspy voice between belabored breaths: "They say nicotine isn't addictive." She takes a drag from a cigarette through her voicebox and asks: "How can they say that?" [ more › ]

Never saw Guardians  but it looked stupid.  I understand the overall story concept but I thought the art design was bad.  Why did Santa have a Russian accent?  If you wanted a more accurate portrayal than it probably should have been a Dutch accent. ~~~ DreamWorks Animation Preps For Hundreds Of Layoffs After 'Rise Of The Guardians' Flop : DreamWorks Animation, the Glendale-based studio that brought us the beloved franchises Shrek , Kung Fu Panda and Madagascar , has announced that it will lay off hundreds of its 2,200 employees by the end of 2013 following a $82.7 million net loss in the fourth quarter of 2012. Ouch. [ more › ]

The Best Diners in Los Angeles : We've picked some of our favorite diners for a slice of Americana (or, you know, pie), bottomless cups of coffee on doilies, vinyl booths, long counters and a place to get cheap, greasy food to fuel after-hours screenwriting or sop up booze after a night out. [ more › ]

An editorial piece, but still shows that this Prop. 30 may do what Arnold was never able to do, fracture the teachers unions because now districts are at odds with each other. ~~~ Voters weren't told about plan to redistribute education money : Gov. Jerry Brown wants to use Prop. 30 tax revenues to help poorer students. It's a laudable goal but shouldn't come at the expense of more prosperous school districts. SACRAMENTO — A revenue redistribution scheme probably was not what Californians had in mind when they passed Gov. Jerry Brown's tax increase to salvage public schools.

Prepaid Carrier Could Be Stuck With $100 Million Worth of Unsold iPhones : The iPhone may be popular among consumers, but it has fallen short of expectations for at least one prepaid carrier. Leap Wireless, the company that operates Cricket Wireless, told the Wall Street Journal that it is currently on track to sell just half the number of iPhones it committed to selling in its first year contract with Apple. If that doesn't change, the Journal says Leap could wind up with $100 million worth of unsold iPhones. Cricket Wireless started offering the iPhone last June, making it the first prepaid carrier in the U.S. to do so. Unlike the other major U.S. carriers, Cricket sold the iPhone at a higher upfront fee -- starting at $399 for an 8 GB iPhone 4 -- but then… Continue reading...

Benedict XVI and the two-pope problem : Vatican headache over Benedict XVI's new status

Behold the Ugliest Shoe of All Time : More »

DumbCuntApparently says FML : Today, a classmate posted a recording of a recent lecture on my university's Facebook page, so we could listen again and take notes at home. A few minutes in, I heard myself asking a question. I then heard snorting and some girl muttering "dumb cunt" under her breath. FML

US hackers 'attacked China websites' : Hackers from the US have repeatedly launched attacks on Chinese military websites, including that of the Defence Ministry, officials say.

US extends aid to Syrian rebels : Secretary of State John Kerry says the US will provide "non-lethal" support to Syrian rebels for the first time, as well as extra aid to the opposition.

White House budget cuts talks ahead : Congressional leaders head to the White House on Friday to discuss how to avert a series of deep budget cuts, on the day they are due to take effect.

Lew confirmed as treasury secretary : The US Senate confirms Jack Lew, President Barack Obama's nominee for treasury secretary, in a 71-26 vote.

Iran's 'Plan B' for a nuclear bomb - Telegraph

For people, it would spell the end of the banks as we know it.  Everybody would keep cash at home.  If the central banks were really serious about fixing this recession, they would do it to their member banks and those banks would respond immediately by freely loaning again. ~~~ Don't worry: the Bank of England will never allow negative interest rates – Telegraph Blogs

Robert Gibbs Told Not To Acknowledge Drone Program Exists As White House Press Secretary

Power Grab at the Fed » Counterpunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names

Germans and Eurocrats Throw Hissy Fits Over Italian Elections : It’s unlikely that the destabilizing of the political calculus in Europe resulting from impressive showing of anti-austerity candidates in Italy will end prettily or nicely. However, Europe had already put itself in the position of having only bad choices. So the question is who suffers, and the public in periphery countries are starting to rebel against being broken on the rack while Eurocrats and pampered German and French bankers feel no pain. Needless to say, the fact that 57% of Italians who went to the polls Monday have figured out that austerity is not working has been met with condemnation and consternation from Brussels and Germany. The astonishing part about their hectoring is it reflects a real inability to grasp some basic elements of the equation. First, of course, is that austerity is a failed experiment. Even the IMF, which has favored this formula for decades, has been forced to ‘fess up. But the other tw...

Nuclear Expert: “The Melted Core Cracked The Containment Vessel … There Really Is No Containment” At Fukushima Reactors : Nuclear Cores and Spent Fuel Pools Have Both Lost Containment Steven Starr – Director of the Clinical Laboratory Science Program at the University of Missouri/Senior Scientist at Physicians for Social Responsibility – said : The Japanese basically lied about what happened with the reactors for months. They said they were trying to prevent a meltdown, when in fact they knew within the first couple of days Reactors 1, 2, and 3 at Fukushima Daiichi had melted down, and they actually melted through the steel containment vessels. So there was a worst case scenario that they were trying to hide, they even knew that at that time enormous amounts of radiation were released over Japan and some of it even went over Tokyo [...] The melted core cracked the containment vessel, there really is no containment. So as soon as they pump the water in it leaks out again. Asahi ...

IT’S ALWAYS THE BEST TIME TO BUY : “The continuing shortages of housing inventory are driving the price gains. There is no evidence of bubbles popping.” – David Lereah, NAR mouthpiece/economist – August 2005 “The steady improvement in home sales will support price appreciation despite all the wild projections by academics, Wall Street analysts, and others in the media.” – David Lereah, NAR mouthpiece/economist – January 10, 2007 “Buyer traffic is continuing to pick up, while seller traffic is holding steady. In fact, buyer traffic is 40 percent above a year ago, so there is plenty of demand but insufficient inventory to improve sales more strongly. We’ve transitioned into a seller’s market in much of the country. We expect a seasonal rise of inventory this spring, but it may be insufficient to avoid more frequent incidences of multiple bidding and faster-than-normal price growth.” – Lawrence Yun – NAR mouthpiece/economist – February 21, 2013 I really need to stop being so pessimist...