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Wednesday Afternoon Open Thread and Blog Issues

TalkLeft has been going down intermittently all day. We're working on it and will probably re-boot the server shortly, so if you get an error message, check back. Hopefully we'll get it resolved soon. If not, I'll post at our backup site here.

In other news, Manuel Noriega has been sentenced to 7 years in France.

The U.S. has added new defendants and charges to the Najibullah Zazi New York terror case. The DOJ press release is here.

President Obama has scored his first guilty plea at a Guantanamo military commission hearing.Sudanese-born Ibrahim al-Qos, bin Laden's former cook and driver, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy and providing material support for terrorism. Sentencing will be in August.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome. Our apologies for the site problems.

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    i must admit (5.00 / 1) (#17)
    by cpinva on Thu Jul 08, 2010 at 02:40:10 AM EST
    to having been somewhat at a loss, as to how much "material support", and "conspiracy" a cook/driver could possibly engage in. is it the mere fact that he drove bin laden around and cooked for him considered "material support"? listening to bin laden gripe about his problems, while driving him around, is now considered engaging in "conspiracy"?

    someone better inform all the cab drivers in new york to put earplugs in, and say nothing to their passengers, lest they be hauled off to gitmo.

    hold on to yer butts (none / 0) (#1)
    by Capt Howdy on Wed Jul 07, 2010 at 03:21:10 PM EST
    these stock market predictions are starting to sound like something from one of those "2012″ things on the discovery channel:

    . . . investors will be devastated in a crash much worse than the declines of 2008 and early 2009 or the worst years of the Great Depression or the Panic of 1873, he predicted.
    For a rough parallel, he said, go all the way back to England and the collapse of the South Sea Bubble in 1720, a crash that deterred people "from buying stocks for 100 years,"
    The Dow, which now stands at 9,686.48, is likely to fall well below 1,000 over perhaps five or six years as a grand market cycle comes to an end, he said.
    A grand cycle is ending, he says, and the time for reckoning is near.


    I predict that: (5.00 / 3) (#2)
    by KeysDan on Wed Jul 07, 2010 at 03:33:38 PM EST
    the stock market will fluctuate.

    Parent
    Thank you, (none / 0) (#3)
    by Zorba on Wed Jul 07, 2010 at 03:40:22 PM EST
    J.P. Morgan.    ;-)

    Parent
    I find it interesting that he thinks... (none / 0) (#4)
    by Dadler on Wed Jul 07, 2010 at 03:40:43 PM EST
    ...certain risk-accepting investors should move to alternatives like shorting or bets on market volatility. This seems, to me, tacit support of a portion of the economic paradigm for which he is writing an obituary. Personally, no on should be able to "bet" on whether the market goes up or down, and ESPECIALLY not the wealthiest among us (the ones usually doing it), who control far too much capital and have too much of a conflict of interest. I would equate it with rules against athletes betting on their own teams.  If you have enough clout to throw the market, you have no moral or ethical (and should have no legal) business wagering on how the market will do. On a related note, see Goldman Sachs and the starvation market.

    Parent
    I have long maintained that the average person (none / 0) (#13)
    by jimakaPPJ on Wed Jul 07, 2010 at 09:56:45 PM EST
    would be better off going to Vegas and playing blackjack than trying to "time" the market. But particular stocks at a low and then selling them at a "high."

    At least in Vegas you will get free booze, and maybe a free room and food, depending on the size of the game.

    Parent

    The Dow fell upwards nearly 300 points today (none / 0) (#6)
    by Farmboy on Wed Jul 07, 2010 at 04:40:59 PM EST
    to go past 10,000.

    Golly, if it continues to fall upward, things will be just like 1718 when Blackbeard was eaten by bears near Duluth.

    I can play economics madlibs too.

    Parent

    EU crackdown on banks (none / 0) (#8)
    by waldenpond on Wed Jul 07, 2010 at 04:59:41 PM EST
    That fall was in response to the crackdown on EU banks.  The market said it would fall if anyone tried to reign them in.

    Parent
    perhaps there's a reason (none / 0) (#16)
    by cpinva on Thu Jul 08, 2010 at 02:32:03 AM EST
    mr. elliott was an "obscure accountant"? like maybe, he was an idiot? odd that i don't recall the "Elliott Wave" theory ever being mentioned in school (and i'm a cpa), or at any other time in my adult life. possibly because it's crap?

    Parent
    headline of the day (none / 0) (#5)
    by Capt Howdy on Wed Jul 07, 2010 at 04:29:54 PM EST
    Can you give us a blow (none / 0) (#9)
    by observed on Wed Jul 07, 2010 at 05:14:04 PM EST
    by blow account, please?

    Parent
    no (none / 0) (#10)
    by Capt Howdy on Wed Jul 07, 2010 at 05:26:10 PM EST
    but I can pass on this amusing story about the same guy that came up in the discussion of that headline:

    Christian Site's Ban on 'G' Word Sends Homosexual to Olympics

    The American Family Association obviously didn't foresee the problems that might arise with its strict policy to always replace the word "gay" with "homosexual" on the Web site of its Christian news outlet, OneNewsNow. The group's automated system for changing the forbidden word wound up publishing a story about a world-class sprinter named "Tyson Homosexual" who qualified this week for the Beijing Olympics.


    Parent
    Playing hard to get, eh? (none / 0) (#11)
    by ruffian on Wed Jul 07, 2010 at 07:07:00 PM EST
    god I love the internet (none / 0) (#7)
    by Capt Howdy on Wed Jul 07, 2010 at 04:48:53 PM EST
    NEW YORK (CBS) Justin Bieber is apparently the subject of a new Internet prank, which now has the singer facing a tour of North Korea.
    Bieber held a contest on his website encouraging fans to vote for where the next stop on his "My World" tour should be, with no restrictions on which countries could be voted for. The contest ended up with more than half a million votes to send the 16-year-old teen icon to the communist nation.


    Heat in Louisana's places of worship (none / 0) (#12)
    by Saul on Wed Jul 07, 2010 at 08:33:20 PM EST
    Conceal gun proponents who are legally packing can now pack their heat into any religious building in Louisianan.

    New Law signed today by Governor of Louisiana.

    Can I have an Amen! Shalom or Salam

    Safe in the arms of Jesus (none / 0) (#14)
    by DFLer on Wed Jul 07, 2010 at 11:13:35 PM EST
    Safe in the arms of Jesus, safe on His gentle breast
    There by His love o'ershaded, sweetly my soul shall rest.


    Parent
    "Solar," by Ian McEwan. Unsolicited (none / 0) (#15)
    by oculus on Thu Jul 08, 2010 at 01:19:03 AM EST
    book recommendation.  McEwan's latest novel, this time about a Nobel prize-winning physicist who is sceptical about climate change.  Very funny, which is most unusual for this author.

    Can someone explain to me... (none / 0) (#18)
    by kdog on Thu Jul 08, 2010 at 11:19:54 AM EST
    what young Scott Nicholson is whining about?  A 40k a year job offer for a 24 year old ain't too shabby in my book.

    Wonder how many of the 15% of 20-somethings unemployed are turning down 40k offers?  Jeez....where do these kids get these expectations of 80k a year dream jobs right out the gate?

    Not quite rich enough (none / 0) (#19)
    by waldenpond on Thu Jul 08, 2010 at 01:19:52 PM EST
    eh, it's the NYT and they tend to report on the trials and tribulations of the wealthy.

    I felt sorry for him, they made him look like a snob and a brat.  He can't figure out why he can't get a job in finance when he majored in poli sci and minored in history. oy.

    It's not just 15% unemployment for the age group either... there are 23% not looking.

    Parent

    Not the "not lookings" again! (none / 0) (#20)
    by kdog on Thu Jul 08, 2010 at 02:03:13 PM EST
    Can you tell me how the "not lookings" pull off surviving?  I'd love to quit my job and not look for another, but it seems like a recipe for not eating so good..what am I missing besides parents to mooch off of?

    Parent
    You're missing nothing (none / 0) (#21)
    by waldenpond on Thu Jul 08, 2010 at 02:17:01 PM EST
    It't the friggin' parents.  Mine will be 18 in a couple of weeks and has applied for 1 (ayup, that's one) job.  He refuses to cut his hair (which I pay for) or buy interview clothes (which I pay for) or learn to drive (which, yes, I will pay for)

    The kid is goofy enough to tell me to stfu and has put in his list for his birthday.

    If you've read me often enough, you know I refrained from laughing and let him know his birthday present is 3 months rent, a bus pass and some furniture and supplies we have in storage.  Yes, I will pay for the packing boxes and gladly pack his unwashed laundry.

    Parent

    These kids today:).... (none / 0) (#26)
    by kdog on Thu Jul 08, 2010 at 02:36:44 PM EST
    At least yours ain't turning down decent jobs w.p.

    Not there is anything wrong with enjoying all of the summer without working when you're that age...you've got a whole life of work ahead of you...but you better know about free fun and not confuse mom and dad with an ATM.

    Parent

    answers (none / 0) (#22)
    by CST on Thu Jul 08, 2010 at 02:21:51 PM EST
    a) you are missing parents to mooch off of.

    b) do we know if that includes people in school?Not everyone who is in school full-time will work.

    c) could be people applying to school even if they are not currently in it.

    d) I wonder how it counts people who are attempting self-employment.  They are not "employed" by anyone part or full time although they may make some money here and there, and they are not attempting to be employed by anyone else.  I actually know a couple of people (young) who were laid off and are trying to start their own thing while living off of unemployment in the mean time.  Not sure how they would be counted since they aren't established enough to be "self-employed" really.

    Parent

    actually looking at the article (none / 0) (#23)
    by CST on Thu Jul 08, 2010 at 02:30:55 PM EST
    it seems the 23% includes people in school.

    "The college-educated among these young adults are better off. But nearly 17 percent are either unemployed or not seeking work, a record level (although some are in graduate school)."

    emphasis mine.  I also know a lot of people who have gone back to school since they can't find jobs.  I would imagine that it is more common than usual these days.

    Parent

    Your Option "D"... (none / 0) (#27)
    by kdog on Thu Jul 08, 2010 at 02:42:02 PM EST
    has gotta heavily be in play...significant numbers of the "not lookings" are working off the books or hustling...gotta be.

    I mean every full time dope dealer, every day laborer at the mock-up, all the off the books workers are "unemployed" in the eyes of the government stat-man.

    Parent

    candwich (none / 0) (#24)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Jul 08, 2010 at 02:35:33 PM EST
    this is sort of cool (none / 0) (#25)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Jul 08, 2010 at 02:36:32 PM EST

    Lauren DiCioccio

    there is good stuff on all 5 pages

    A Judge in Boston (none / 0) (#28)
    by CST on Thu Jul 08, 2010 at 04:39:42 PM EST
    Ruled today that the Federal Gay Marriage Ban is unconstitutional

    not much info on it or how this affects the other cases.

    awsum (none / 0) (#29)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Jul 08, 2010 at 05:08:05 PM EST