Monthly Archives: February 2009

Insured Banks and Thrifts Lost $26.2 Billion in the Fourth Quarter

from the FDIC Commercial banks and savings institutions insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) reported a net loss of $26.2 billion in the fourth quarter of 2008, a decline of $27.8 billion from the $575 million that the industry earned in the fourth quarter of 2007 and the first quarterly loss since 1990. [...]
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Get Out Of Town… Or, At Least Iraq

President Obama announced today that the USA would pull its military troops out of Iraq over the next 18 months. The announcement comes one day after the Secretary of Defense announced a change to the Photographing of Caskets of Fallen Troops policy. SEC. GATES: I’d like to address two subjects today. First, I would like [...]
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The world we leave our children

by First Lady Michelle Obama “I’ve often spoken about my most important job — being a mom — and like mothers and fathers everywhere, the health and safety of our children is our top priority,” the First Lady said on a visit to EPA headquarters. “This is what it is all about: the future. And [...]
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‘Technology is the Key’ to Coping with Global Warming and Growth

by the World Bank May 21, 2008—Can all developing countries grow as fast as the fastest growing economies without causing global greenhouse gases to spiral out of control? The answer is no, unless technology and new techniques are used to “radically” reduce the amount of energy needed to produce goods, as well as cut CO2 [...]
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Netherlands And Thailand Under Water?

In 2008, the World Bank suggested that the Netherlands could soon be under the sea. The government and people of the Netherlands took the advice to heart and are taking serious actions. Cor Dijkgraaf, a Dutch city planner, has taken the same advice to Thailand. In a recent seminar, Cor compared the two countries. “[Global [...]
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Look to the Sea

It’s getting closer. Faster. Sea level rise, globally averaged over the last 15 years is twice that averaged over the last 50. 1.6-1.8 mm/yr over the last 50 yr., to 3.5 mm/yr. over the last fifteen, as much as 1cm(10mm, 0.4 inch)/yr in parts of the western Pacific. Not much, one would think. Consider now, [...]
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The Hidden Link Between Factory Farms, Toxic Chemicals and Human Illness

* The Hidden Link Between Factory Farms and Human Illness By Laura Sayre Mother Earth News, February/March 2009 Straight to the Source You may be familiar with many of the problems associated with concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs. These “factory farm” operations are often criticized for the smell and water pollution caused by all [...]
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Another Quarter, Another 25 Billion

Fannie Mae reports US$25 billion loss for 4Q2008. Wants another 15 billion. Cash flow statements are rather revealing of the political mandate of large puchases of MBS last year. Wonder how much cash brother Freddie blew ? Not to speak of cousin Ginnie, whose paper is explicitly guaranteed by the full faith and credit of [...]
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Compositions And Quasi-automated Composing

Sidd wrote: Hi, Here are some of the references I was thinking of during our conversation on Saturday afternoon. I shall keep looking for more, and would love to hear your thoughts as well. First a couple of research papers, will references to some people we might want to contact. http://gsd.ime.usp.br/sbcm/2000/papers/wassermann.pdf http://www.citeulike.org/group/532/article/514131 http://www.rivier.edu/journal/ROAJ-2006-Spring/J43-DION.pdf then a [...]
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United States Pushes For Cap-And-Trade

President Obama spoke up about America moving toward a cap-and-trade market. “Implement an economy-wide cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050.” Duke Energy Corp. and BlackRock Inc. backed the President’s push for a market-based cap on greenhouse gas emissions. The Edison Electric Institute also supports the President’s plan. Recently, Edison reported [...]
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