Wal-Mart worker dies after shoppers knock him down - Yahoo! News

Stay safe out there.

From Mark Rauterkus & Running Mates ponder current events

Wal-Mart worker dies after shoppers knock him down - Yahoo! News: "A worker died after being trampled by a throng of unruly shoppers when a suburban Wal-Mart opened for the holiday sales rush Friday, authorities said.

At least three other people were injured.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., in Bentonville, Ark., would not confirm the reports of a stampede but said a 'medical emergency' had caused the company to close the store, which is in Valley Stream on Long Island."

Gun Ordinance Letter to City ...

Gun Ordinance Letter to City ...: "The purpose of this letter is to follow-up on my testimony during the November 20th public hearing regarding the proposed lost and stolen firearms ordinance. I would also like to respond to contentions made by others at both that hearing as well as the November 18th post-agenda hearing.The purpose of this letter is to follow-up on my testimony during the November 20th public hearing regarding the proposed lost and stolen firearms ordinance. I would also like to respond to contentions made by others at both that hearing as well as the November 18th post-agenda hearing."

How China's slowdown could crimp our bailout plans - BloggingStocks

 

How China's slowdown could crimp our bailout plans - BloggingStocks: "Why should you care what's going on in China? It makes many of the products we buy -- particularly the ones sold at Wal-Mart Stores (NYSE: WMT). And it has been recycling the profits it makes due to its relatively low labor costs into buying American debt. In fact, without its willingness to purchase our Treasury bonds, we would probably not be able to afford the $8.2 trillion worth of bailout plans that we've created so far -- or the additional $20 trillion we might need in the future."

Twitter is making me much smarter! 

But, there seems to be some factual errors. The bailout is at $4-trillion. Not $8.2 T, nor $20T. (yet) The economy in China has been at 10-12% growth per quarter for the last few years. 

China's GDP growth can not include the "construction of houses." Housing, okay. But, a while ago China outlawed the building of any new single-family houses. That isn't happening. Perhaps the building of apartment buildings is another matter.

The cutting of one steel plant's production by 15% does not mean that global suppliers fo commodies -- such as iron ore, copper and cement -- around the world are suffering. That's a stretch, to say the least.

It is hard to see so many goofs in the first part of the article and then assume that the conclusion about US debt is valid. 

I agree that the decline is scary. I agree that the solvency of the nation is at the brink. But, this mess of a bailout with the US markets and Fed was created by the US politicians. The US is hooked to China. Fine. But, let's fix ourselves first and fix blame within the halls of our governmental offices.

Amazing: Thai Protests Strand Thousands of Tourists

From thai mix

ABC News: Thai Protests Strand Thousands of Tourists: "Thai Protests Strand Thousands of Tourists
Grounded Tourists Were Left to Sleep on Airport Floors While Demonstrators Held a Rally Outside"

Wonderful read. Check it out.

Democracy is not always a contact sport in Thailand.

From Thai boxing at Lumpinee

More fuel for the calling of The Zombie as a new mascot for new Pgh Public High School

The Zombies -- now taking the field -- with its own initial theme song as well.



Pointers

Zombie Nation PSU blog. A blog for PSU (Penn State) calls itself the Zombie Nation PSU.

Always point to Wikipedia for insights:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zombie_Nation_(band)

The first Zombie Nation five track EP was released in the spring of 1999 on DJ Hell's label, International DeeJay Gigolo Records. A remix of the song Kernkraft 400 on this debut release landed in high chart-positions all over the world.

Since 2001, Florian Senfter has released tracks on different labels under Zombie Nation and his other pseudonym John Starlight. In 2002 he did not renew his contract with International DeeJay Gigolo Records and started his own label, Dekathlon Records, where he released the second Album "Absorber" in 2003. In early 2005, the new sublabel UKW Records was launched with John Starlight's John's Addiction Part 1 followed by Paeng Paeng 12" by Zombie Nation which was recorded a few months later. Sven Väth realized the potential of that song at first glance and licensed it for his Cocoon Recordings imprint. The the 3rd Album "Black Toys" which was released in 2006 on UKW Records Zombie Nation is a bass dominated soundscape [1] from tech-hop [2] to funk-laden house[2] . In 2007 Zombie Nation collaborated with Tiga under the pseudonym ZZT on the recording "Lower State of Consciousness".

Zombie Nation is also known today as electronic music liveact. Different from a DJ he uses musical hardware on stage to create sounds. The main instrument is an Akai MPC 4000[3] Music sequencer which he uses in combination with a mixing console and several effects units to do a live arrangement and Mix of his music.

Hear the title track - Tune: http://www.last.fm/music/Zombie+Nation/_/Kernkraft+400?autostart



Steel mill and all!

Background:

As I've posted before, it would be great if the new sports mascot for the new Pgh Public Schools at the new Science and Technology school (combined with UPREP) would be called "The Zombies."

414 Grant Street calls Joe Mistick a jerkoff

414 Grant Street: "When Trib columnist Joe Mistick was Sophie Masloff's top aid, he would have fired anyone who suggested that Sophie give all the proceeds of a campaign fundraiser to charity. In fact, it seems fair to ask how much money he convinced Sophie to donate to charity from her political fundraisers while he was running the city? Hmmm...we're guessing $0. Why would he think anyone else should be held to a different standard? What a jerkoff.

Really?

Panda attacks man in Chinese zoo

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Panda attacks man in Chinese zoo A man has been attacked by a panda at a park in southern China, after he climbed into its enclosure hoping to cuddle the creature.
The 20-year-old student had ignored warning signs and scaled a two-metre (6.5ft) barrier to get into the pen.
State media say the panda bit him on his arms and legs, and he had to be rescued by the animal's keepers.
Speaking from his hospital bed, the injured man said the panda had looked so cute he had just wanted to hug it.
The incident happened on Friday at Qixing Park in Guilin, a popular tourist attraction in the southern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, which houses a small zoo and panda exhibit.

If you want to hug a cute panda, buy one of these stuffed animals.

From china - bike - more

Derrick - South Side neighborhood walk

Picasa Web Albums - Derrick - South Side neighborhood walk: "South Side neighborhood walk"

A project with a neighborhood walk has plenty of snapshots of the South Side Flats. Our house is "featured" - sorta. I went in the tour and left a bunch of snarky comments. You can do the same.

On Tap - Flouting the Rule of Law

Great read. Must read. Even Bruce Kraus should read this.

On Tap - Flouting the Rule of Law: "There are two outrageous philosophies at work here. The first is the philosophy of “do something, even if it’s meaningless”. Councilwoman Payne knows darn well that this ordinance isn’t going to reduce violent crime. Yet she and five other members of the City Council cast their vote in favor of this ordinance yesterday because (in my opinion), they want to be seen as doing something about violent crime. If you’re only interested in appearing to be effective, rather than actually being effective, I don’t want you as my elected representative. Period. Don’t give me soundbite solutions that play well on the evening news but don’t actually make the city any safer."

PURE Reform: Sports Proposal from Mark Rauterkus

PURE Reform: Sports Proposal from Mark Rauterkus: "Sports Proposal from Mark Rauterkus"

I'm getting some ink / or recycled electrons at another blog about the Zombies and Olympians -- in a call to participation for the community in our schools.

The Libertarian Moment: Despite all leading indicators to the contrary, America is poised to enter a new age of freedom. - Reason Magazine

Hard to read, but here is his summary in the middle.

The Libertarian Moment: Despite all leading indicators to the contrary, America is poised to enter a new age of freedom. - Reason Magazine: "The Libertarian Moment is based on a few hard-won insights that have grown into a fragile but enduring consensus in the ever-expanding free world. First is the notion that, all things being equal, markets are the best way to organize an economy and unleash the means of production (and its increasingly difficult-to-distinguish adjunct, consumption). Second is that at least vaguely representative democracy, and the political freedom it almost always strengthens, is the least worst form of government (a fact that even recalcitrant, anti-modern regimes in Islamabad, Tehran, and Berkeley grudgingly acknowledge in at least symbolic displays of pluralism). Both points seem almost banal now, but were under constant attack during the days of the Soviet Union, and are still subject to wobbly confidence any time capitalist dictatorships like China seem to grow ascendant in a time of domestic economic woe. Though every dip in the Dow makes the professional amnesiacs of cable TV and the finance pages turn in the direction of Mao, there is no going back to the Great Leap Forward.

...

Understanding the Libertarian Moment is fundamental to understanding the 21st century. Power — economic, cultural, political — will accrue to those people who recognize that it’s over for existing power centers. The command economy, the command culture, and the command polity have all been replaced by a different model — that of a consultant, a docent, a fixer, a friend. The individuals and groups that will flourish in the Libertarian Moment will be those who open things up, not shut them down.

Pittsburgh's renaissance holds lesson for Cleveland - Metro - cleveland.com

Pittsburgh's renaissance holds lesson for Cleveland - Metro - cleveland.com: "Pittsburgh's renaissance holds lesson for Cleveland"

RMU Trips Abroad for 2009

Want to go on vacation and study with RMU in May and June of 2009. Check out this line-up of trips.

See the link under the heading, "Insights" here.

Are we going to be looking for this button next week?

So, what is happening?

And, what's going to happen?

Push for transit button.

Does PAT shut down next week?




An alternative to the bus -- the arrival of the bikes.



Pittsburgh, and the USA as a whole, should turn to golf carts as a way of mass transit. Anyone could drive them. Just leave them at various places downtown, and take em for a spin along certain streets. If you drive, you have to pick up the others that are going in the same direction as yourself.

Otherwise, we might as well try bumper cars.

From Grant

Big Bailouts, Bigger Bucks = Must read on cost of bailouts

You gotta see this.

Big Bailouts, Bigger Bucks | The Big Picture: "That is $686 billion less than the cost of the credit crisis thus far.

The only single American event in history that even comes close to matching the cost of the credit crisis is World War II: Original Cost: $288 billion, Inflation Adjusted Cost: $3.6 trillion

The $4.6165 trillion dollars committed so far is about a trillion dollars ($979 billion dollars) greater than the entire cost of World War II borne by the United States: $3.6 trillion, adjusted for inflation (original cost was $288 billion).

Go figure: WWII was a relative bargain.

End The Fed - rally and message in Pittsburgh - End The Fed

City still can't ope ice rink -- but a drunk tank is being talked about

"There is some discussion of using the current Zone 3 station, once it is vacated, as a drunk tank."

Oh my gosh.

Going to the pool

 

Dog missing 5 years reunited with owner

Dog missing 5 years reunited with owner: "Tootsie, the adventuresome dachshund who went missing more than five years ago, is on his way back home ...

Then there is the story of the recently lost dog / puppy.

From Mark Rauterkus & Running Mates ponder current events

Ricky Burgess makes sense on gun measures in the works with city council

Council passes controversial bill on stolen guns The lone no vote was by Councilman Ricky Burgess, who argued that it would be a 'false cure' that would be 'particularly cruel' to his violence-plagued northeastern Pittsburgh district.
'This legislation will not strike a blow to straw purchasers,' he said. 'This ordinance will not be enforced, no loopholes will be closed and no lives will be saved, because no municipality can legally regulate firearms of any kind, at any time, for any reason.'

Right on Rev. Burgess.


Of course Tonya Payne does not give a concern about the constitution.

City council is up to its regular folly of over-reaching. They are only going to make for a new windfall for the lawyers to bill the public and nothing is going to be accomplished -- except a battle with the constition and the rich getting richer.

I also like the quote from Mr. Dowd. He said that in passing the measure council is "not really effectively changing the situation on the ground," and is inviting a lawsuit.

Doug Shields has it right with one technical point his quote in the Post-Gazette. Yes, go to courts to make arguements. Likewise, you go to the funeral home to cry for the dead and the hospitals to mend the injured. Going to the courts to make your arguements isn't going to fix anything when it comes to those injured and killed. And, the more they wish to run to the courts to fuss over arguements -- the longer it is going to take to get some sanity in the neighborhoods so as to divert the rushing to hospitals and graveyards.