Day of the Dead

Next week we will have the Day of the Dead memorial in Mexico.

I think of my father, who died in December and was born in November. Now that I an in Chilpancingo I also think of two cousins that are buried here. I went to their tombs the other day, and laid some flowers: Cempasúchitl, beautiful yellow flowers we use to remember our dear people that died.

I am still at school, and the children, I mean the students, are having a ball downstairs, I wonder how much they understand death; for that matter, I wonder how much I understand death.

As a good friend wrote a few days ago: We know that life comes one day, and leaves another.

A friend´s wife almost died this week, she had a heart attack. She is recovering.

Professor Krugman explains in his column today how the consumers decision to stop spending could be bad news. I posted three bad news from American companies reported by the NYT today.

The only thing that lifts me up, is the very good chances Democrats will be back in the White House next year.

So it goes. Life goes on, until it doesn't.

When Consumers Capitulate

Sooner or later, American consumers were going to have to pull in their belts. But the timing of the new sobriety is deeply unfortunate.

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Motorola to Cut Jobs and Delay Spinoff

The beleaguered cellphone maker lost $397 million in the quarter and warned investors that there was no quick fix to its problems.

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Electronic Arts Lowers Forecast and Cuts Its Work Force

The video game publisher posted a wider quarterly loss and said it plans to cut about 6 percent of its staff in response to slowing sales.

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Sun Microsystems Reports $1.7 Billion Loss and Falling Sales

Amid dismal sales and a massive charge, it’s clear that Sun is coming under increasing pressure to do something radical.

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The Last Week Quiz

This presidential race has been a great ride, but we need to take a break. Dare you to answer this end-of-the-endless-election quiz.

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American Stories

In no other country could Barack Obama have risen so far and so fast. Such boundless possibility is what America once stood for and can stand for again.

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Three Viewers

I check my readership with Whou's amung us. I just found out that I have two visitors right now. They are watching the Barack Obama's paid political ad in YouTube.

That is a hit.

I hope he is elected next Tuesday.

Barack Hussein Obama

Money Trips

A trillion here a trillion there, nowadays we see these big fluxes of capital all over the World. Tom Friedman writes today (below) how the leaders of Iran are worried, very worried. I am worried about the economy of my own country, Mexico; it seems that President Felipe Calderón, had some money saved for a rainy day that is coming handy. He recently announced the construction of the first Mexican oil refinery in many years; to create jobs, and to rationalize Mexico's economy.

It is comforting to find out that Iran's mullahs are worried, and Mexican neoliberals are performing. But I still wonder if some influential money hands in the US, England, and other financial centers in the World, are behind these convenient problems in Iran; if it is so, I am afraid they'll just turn out to be sorcerer's apprentices, that like Micky Mouse in Fantasia, will just land us in deeper financial crises.

I hope not. I guess, in five to ten years, maybe even less, we'll find out what came out of all these money trips.

The Decided Go in Droves to Vote Early

Early voting has been a hit, whether in grocery stores or out car windows, and millions have already cast ballots.

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Mexico Pays Fishermen to Help Save a Species

The offer of payments was intended to save a small porpoise that is threatened with extinction as an unintended byproduct of commercial fishing.

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Mexico approves watered-down oil industry reform

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico's Congress passed a watered-down energy industry reform Tuesday that enables private contractors to participate in the state-owned oil business but won't likely draw enough investment to reverse declining production in the third-largest oil supplier to the United States.

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Oil Disorder South of the Border

Oil politics have recently bubbled to the surface down in Mexico. Seeing as the country was our second-biggest supplier last year, we gringos had better pay attention.

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AOL?

I got a new email from AOL.

Dear AOL Pictures User:

We are sorry to inform you that, as of December 31, 2008, AOL will no longer provide the AOL Pictures online photo service. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you.

The good news is that AOL has partnered with American Greetings® PhotoWorks® to enable continued access to your pictures through the PhotoWorks service. PhotoWorks provides unlimited free storage, just like AOL Pictures, as well as a variety of options for making creations and sharing your photos. You can access your images on PhotoWorks simply by providing your screen name and password to register for a free American Greetings PhotoWorks account. Register for PhotoWorks now.

While we recommend the American Greetings PhotoWorks option, you may also:

Download your photos to your computer using a new tool that will enable you to quickly save multiple images and albums; or
Purchase a DVD archive of your images. Please note there is a charge for the DVD archive based on the number of images you select.

It is important that you take action no later than December 31, 2008. After this date, you will no longer be able to access your images through AOL Pictures. You may choose from or combine any of the options listed above, based on your needs, as long as you do so by December 31.

Please go to AOL Pictures as soon as possible to register for American Greetings PhotoWorks for continued access to your pictures or to save your images on your computer or to DVD. Here, you will also find more information and step-by-step instructions on each of the available choices.

We sincerely appreciate your being an AOL Pictures user. It has been our pleasure to provide you with an enjoyable online photo experience.

Sincerely,

The AOL Pictures Team

Op-Ed Columnist - For Your Consideration - NYTimes.com

In an Ohio hotel suite, two McCain aides ponder how Sarah Palin got away.

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Sleepless in Tehran

The collapse of oil prices should give the United States leverage with Iran, but we should use that leverage smartly and not exaggerate Iran’s strength.

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Stocks Soar on Hopes for Fed Rate Cut

The Dow soared nearly 900 points as investors anticipated a Fed move and pushed aside gloomy consumer confidence news. Fresh from the New York Times! A sign the economic crash may have finally hit bottom!?

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Valero Exceeds Earnings Estimates After Oil Retreats

Oct. 28 (Bloomberg) -- Valero Energy Corp., the largest U.S. refiner, posted a smaller decline in third-quarter earnings than analysts predicted after crude-oil costs retreated from an all-time high, easing a squeeze on profit margins.

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In Defense of White Americans

White Americans are not remotely the bigots the G.O.P. would have us believe. Just because a campaign trades in racism doesn’t mean that the country is racist.

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Quantum gravitational collapse: non-singularity and non-loca

Los Alamos archived preprint on Quantum Gravity by Eric Greenwood.

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Red LEDs Can Reduce Wrinkles

Researchers from the University of Ulm in Germany have discovered a new use for red LEDs (light emitting diodes) that is potentially much more valuable than their current use as indicators in electronics or clusters for modern lighting. The scientists have successfully shown that after several weeks of high intensity treatment with the red...

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A Choice and an Echo

The heyday of Lee Atwater and Karl Rove is over. Yet Senator John McCain handed the reins of his campaign to Mr. Rove’s worshipful acolytes.

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Chicago

Jennifer Hudson, made it out of the ghetto in Chicago. Now she is painfully back in that nightmare.

Poverty does not end with fame. Her family is poor, even though by now, she may not be poor.

Body Found; May Be Hudson’s Nephew

Chicago police have found the body of a young boy on Monday in the same SUV that was part of a massive manhunt after the killings of the mother and brother of actress Jennifer Hudson.

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Shoot the Horses?

It’s a wonder that there are still two guys in the presidential race, pulling out all the stops to be chosen as the one to face this economic nightmare.

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Shoot the Horses?

Roger Cohen, encouraged my paranoia:

"Let’s fast-forward a year to October 2009. The U.S. unemployment rate stands at 10 percent. Crime is up across the country. The economy is shrinking. No arm-twisting from the Treasury has managed to restore the broken confidence between borrowers and lenders. Banks, the few still standing, are holding fast to their cash. Property prices are down more than 25 percent from current levels."

Do I hear a Martial Law insinuation there?

Should I stay, or Should I go?

Joe Strummer's lines are relevant for the 84 year old Senator from Alaska, Ted Stevens.

I hope he goes.

If Senator Stevens reads my blog, he can hear Joe's band, singing this classic song.

Danger in Mexico?

I am reading the American Chronicle piece I posted below. If it is true that it is dangerous to be in Mexico; how come more than one hundred million people, including myself, live here?

The Obama Difference

By Howard Zinn, October 2008 IssueIt seems that Barack Obama and John McCain are arguing over which war to fight. McCain says: Keep the troops in Iraq until we “win.” Obama says: Withdraw some (not all) troops from Iraq and send them to fight and “win” in Afghanistan.

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The Clash - Should I stay or should I go

live performance, see paul's dancing befor last chorus!

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Alaska Senator Is Convicted of Violating Ethics Rules

Senator Ted Stevens, the Senate’s longest-serving Republican, was found guilty of violating ethics laws for failing to report gifts and services that he was given by friends.

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The Clash - Should I stay or should I go

live performance, see paul's dancing befor last chorus!

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Mexican Drug cartels and Hezbollah operating in Mexico and U

Mexican drug cartels, Hezbollah (Party of God) and other Islamic terrorist groups are joining forces in Mexico. Hezbollah is synonymous with terror, suicide bombings, kidnappings and beheadings. No wonder the criminal organizations in Mexico seem to have adopted many Middle Eastern terrorist tactics with kidnappings and beheadings happening through

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The world isn't flat, it's flattened

It wasn't the world that got flat, contrary to New York Times pundit Thomas Friedman, but the emerging markets that got flattened.

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Mexican economy weaker than many politicians suggest

MEXICO - The peso recovered Thursday after a bumpy ride earlier in the week but the Mexican stock market plunged to a 28-month low.

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The Moral of Yesterday's Market Slide

More Crisis Ahead for Stocks... Yet, Investors in Exotic Currencies Are Poised for Quadruple-digit Profits from the Same Turmoil

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The Widening Gyre

The troubles in the banking system, hedge funds and emerging markets are mutually reinforcing. Bad news begets bad news, and the circle of pain just keeps getting wider.

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Mexican Drug Lord Is Arrested

Mexican security forces have arrested the drug cartel leader Eduardo Arellano Félix, one of the international traffickers most sought by the United States.

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Bees Can Count to Four

Scientists show that honey bees can count to four, no word of whether they can win spelling bees.

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Mexico Working to Increase Oil Production

The Mexican Senate approved legislation on Thursday intended to reverse a decline in production by the state-owned oil monopoly Pemex.

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Currencies in Disarray

The voice from Wall Street.

“This is a panic in the way of the fine 19th-century panics, where we all run around like headless chickens,” said R. Jeremy Grantham, chairman of the Boston-based investment firm GMO, who had predicted stocks would tumble. “I have been in the business for 40 years, and I have never seen anything like this."

Currencies Fall as Fears Spread and Stocks Slip

The flow of cash to the safe havens of the dollar and the Japanese yen from places like Brazil, Ukraine and South Korea has prompted talk of a rare intervention.There were chilling new developments that attested to the wide scope of the crisis, despite efforts by heads of state, central bankers and corporate leaders to stop the bleeding.

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Jimmy Cliff and Peter Tosh

For the Europeans and North Americans that may read this, the music of these gentlemen, best reflects the feeling of Third World People. When I saw the movie "The Harder they Come", I felt uplifted to hear poor people express such longing for another world, where they wouldn't be at the bottom of the heap.

Now that everything seems to be getting upside down, maybe there will be some rearrangements.

So it goes.

"The Harder They Come" Jimmy Cliff

A music video of the song "The Harder They Come" featuring Jimmy Cliff

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Peter Tosh - Stepping Razor

home made tributeAudio available on the "Equal Rights" LP/CDComposite of footage available on Stepping Razor - Red X Vid/DVD from 1992_____________

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Mexican energy reform passes Senate

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The Mexican Senate on Thursday passed a controversial energy reform meant to revitalize the nation's flagging oil industry — the third largest supplier to the United States

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Global Markets Plummet on Earnings Fears

Global stocks fell sharply despite earlier gains on Wall Street, with some down more than 9 percent. Europe’s major exchanges opened with declines of around 5 percent.

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NYTimes: Barack Obama for President

"As tough as the times are, the selection of a new president is easy. After nearly two years of a grueling and ugly campaign, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois has proved that he is the right choice to be the 44th president of the United States.

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Mexico Drug War Funds to Be Released Soon: U.S.

PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico (Reuters) - The United States will soon send Mexico funding for its brutal war on drug gangs amid Mexican impatience for the helicopters and planes, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Wednesday.

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Confessions of a Phone Solicitor

If you can come up with something that would send a telemarketer over the edge, you have really overachieved on the offensiveness front.

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Iran Is Job One

Iran’s leadership would pay a high price for a handshake with America. As the 30th anniversary of the Iranian Revolution looms, it’s time to rethink U.S. strategy toward Iran.

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Rice Visits Mexico for a Meeting About Its Drug War

The U.S. Secretary of State’s trip was the latest in a series of visits by top-level officials in the Bush administration, which sees the violent clashes in Mexico as a threat to U.S. security.

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Bailout (and Buildup)

We can’t afford a financial bailout that also isn’t a green buildup — a buildup of a new clean energy industry that strengthens America. The FUTURE of America, and the world, is Clean, Safe Energy that is NOT CENTRALLY distributed, like oil, gas and hydrogen. This is also the FUTURE of jobs in America. Obama IS THE FUTURE of America.

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Paul Krugman: The morning after

Four years ago George W. Bush narrowly won the presidential election, and Republicans achieved a 30-seat majority in the House and a 10-seat majority in the Senate. Immediately there was a vast chorus from the commentariat, proclaiming the death of liberalism; America, everyone said, was a conservative nation. I have a whole shelf of books [...]

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LHC Inauguration

Today is a special day. CERN officially inaugurated LHC.

It means that a new stage has begun in particle physics. This is a milestone. There are problems, there are always problems. It comes to mind a scene from World War II. Powell, Occhialini, Lattes and Blackett discovered the pion in 1947, during the war. I imagine heroic observations at crossed fire, to uncover the secrets of the Universe, at the risk of one's life.

Nobody, as far as I know is risking their life at LHC; but still it takes courage to spent one's life in the pursuit of truth.

CERN inaugurates the LHC

Geneva, 21 October 2008. Swiss President Pascal Couchepin and French Prime Minister François Fillon were joined at CERN* today by science ministers from CERN’s Member States and around the world to inaugurate the Large Hadron Collider, the world’s largest and most complex scientific instrument.

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India Prepares Moon Launch

The launch is part of an effort to assert India’s power in space and claim some of the business opportunities out there.

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The Real Scandal

The real threat to democracy is the nonstop campaign by the G.O.P. and its supporters to disenfranchise American citizens who have every right to cast a ballot.

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AMLO Again

Andrés Manuel López Obrador the Legitimate Mexican President (Presidente Legítimo) is stopping Calderón's plans to privatize PEMEX, the state oil monopoly.

You can read Bloomberg's news below.

Mexico Congress Rejects Calderon's Plan to Privatize Refiner

Oct. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Mexican legislators rejected President Felipe Calderon's proposal to allow private companies to refine oil for state-controlled Petroleos Mexicanos, a blow to his plan to boost investment in energy.

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A New World Order

Venezuela, Russia, and Iran, now we read in the NYT (note below), no longer can assume, their plans, based on the price of oil will succeed.

On the other hand I do not see how a weakened US can stop these countries from pursuing the independent paths they have chosen.

In any case it seems that a new stage in the historical evolution of Mankind is beginning.

3 Oil Countries Face a Reckoning

Plummeting oil prices are raising questions about whether Venezuela, Iran and Russia can sustain their bids to challenge United States hegemony.

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Sarah Palin On SNL: Good thing, or a bad thing?

The pros and cons of the Sarah Palin opener on SNL.

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Business tech born in Cern's Big Bang lab

Cutting edge particle physics is being used to hone new technology that will eventually make its way into enterprises

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Machiavelli?

When I think, I tend to overthink. Niccolò Machiavelli, was a shrewd Italian thinker, I think of him, when events seem to benefit a group of people.
How come the money going South (see below) to poor countries, froze out?
Who benefits?

I don't know, but it surely feels tight around where I sit.

Latin America feels the pinch of global economic crisis - Lo

BUENOS AIRES -- The abrupt end of the worldwide commodities boom has stunned Latin American nations that had bet the farm on the idea that raw materials were a ticket to boundless prosperity in the globalized economy.

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CNN finally talks about the upcoming martial law in the US.

CNN finally talks about the upcoming martial law in the United States. Most people have no clue how the laws have already been changed to support the planned martial law.

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iGoogle launches Reader integration

Finally! Only 1 tab to have open for all my Google apps!

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Peter Schiff: Just Stop Paying Your Mortgage

If you are a mortgage holder who is either struggling with crushing payments, bitter for having overpaid for your home during the bubble, or who has extravagantly refinanced when prices were rising, the government's landmark $700 billion bailout package has an important message for you: stop making your mortgage payments . . . immediately.

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The Great Iceland Meltdown

Globalization giveth. Globalization taketh away. And now, we have to hope, that globalization will saveth.

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F.B.I. Struggles to Handle Wave of Financial Fraud Cases

A focus on terrorism and intelligence has limited the bureau’s ability to pursue criminal wrongdoing related to the economic crisis, officials said.

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Mexico Says U.S. Journalist Was Killed by a Protester

The death of Bradley Will had drawn widespread attention because of the Mexican government’s failure to solve a string of slayings of journalists.

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With Big Oil Discovery Cuba Beats US to Energy Independence

After revising estimates, Cuba now claims it has double the amount of oil in its offshore reserves than previously thought. If the estimates are accurate, Cuba would have just as much oil as the U.S. This discovery, coupled with initiatives to develop alternative energy projects, such a brand new biogas factory, will give Cuba energy independence.

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The Real Plumbers of Ohio

John McCain’s strategy, in this final stretch, is based on the belief that Republicans can still pursue plutocratic policies while claiming to be the party of regular guys.

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Vive la Dépression!

With plumbers figuring in French and American votes, getting back to basics is in vogue. A relief from sophistication is overdue. It’s time to look forward to the Depression.

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Drug Killings Haunt Mexican Schoolchildren

Mexico’s explosion of drug-related violence has caught the attention of the country’s children, filling their heads with images that are hard to shake.

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He Just Can’t Quit W

It’s not just the economy. And it’s not just President Bush. John McCain is to blame for his own campaign’s disastrous course.

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The Great Iceland Meltdown

Globalization giveth. Globalization taketh away. And now, we have to hope, that globalization will saveth.

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Mexico Says U.S. Journalist Was Killed by a Protester

The death of Bradley Will had drawn widespread attention because of the Mexican government’s failure to solve a string of slayings of journalists.

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Large Hadron Collider Damage More Severe Than Thought

With 29 broken magnets and a possibly faulty liquid helium distribution system, a new report concludes that the LHC damage means 8 months of downtime minimum.

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Making Money from Loonies and Pesos …

I’ve clearly laid out my reasons why the U.S. dollar has rallied sharply versus most of the world’s currencies … and why it’s got a lot of room left to climb.

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Mexico Bank Will Probably Keep Rate at 8.25% as Peso Weakens

Oct. 17 (Bloomberg) -- Mexico's central bank will probably leave its benchmark interest rate unchanged today on concerns that a reduction to help a sagging economy would further depreciate the currency and fuel inflation.

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Stocks Drop at Opening as Housing Starts Disappoint

Shares on Wall Street opened lower after a government report showed construction of single-family homes in September hitting its lowest level since 1991.

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In Downturn, Families Strain to Pay Tuition

With the unemployment rate rising and a recession mentality gripping the country, more families are applying for federal aid for students attending college.

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Paul Krugman: Let’s Get Fiscal

To get out of the economic slump, the next president should increased government spending and put the concerns about the budget deficit on hold.

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Oil prices plunge to 13-month low

The price of a barrel of oil continues to freefall, and Douglas is maintaining the lowest price for gasoline in the county.

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Three Guys and a Table

In the third and final presidential debate, John McCain could not stop talking to Joe the Plumber through the TV screen. By next week, I expect Joe will have his own TV show.

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Presley, Palin and the Heartland

The can-do, honest, spend-what-you-earn civility of the heartland — once at the heart of Republican values — has been usurped into Sarah Palin’s trash talk.

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Timothy Egan: The Deal, Sealed?

McCain plays the Ayers card again, and it feels like it's time for him to fold.

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Omar Grows Into Category 3 Hurricane in Caribbean

CHRISTIANSTED, U.S. Virgin Islands (AP) -- Omar strengthened into a fierce Category 3 hurricane late Wednesday as it pummeled St. Croix with heavy rains and winds, sinking boats in the harbor, knocking down trees and forcing workers to shut down a major oil refinery.

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A Look at Google’s First Phone

A rival to the iPhone is about to debut, with software by Google, body by HTC and network by T-Mobile.

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How Dangerous is this Moment?

Last week was bad. I don't hold stock anymore, maybe a few cents in a company that may not exist by now. Today I talked to some scientists about changes we've observed during the past ten or twenty years. This moment in history feels a bit odd to me. The Mexican government just bailed out some big wigs, very likely under orders from the White House. I keep hearing rumors of an incoming Martial Law state in the US.

How credible is this catastrophic scenario?

"According to Wayne Madsen's recent article titled "FEMA sources confirm coming martial law," it gets worse. He cites "knowledgeable" FEMA sources saying that "the Bush administration is putting the final touches on a plan (to declare) martial law in the US with various scenarios anticipated as triggers." Economic collapse. Massive social unrest. Bank closures. Street protests. Violence in response, and another stolen election."

This comes from some Stephen Lendman, I've never heard from before.

Should I believe him?

I've thought these thoughts myself for many years now, I am 59, he is 72. Is this the moment when my worst nightmare happens?

When I know I'll tell you.

Stephen Lendman is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization. He lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to The Global Research News Hour on RepublicBroadcasting.org Mondays from 11AM - 1PM US Central time for cutting edge discussions with distinguished guests.

Garrett Lisi: Have I found the holy grail of physics?

Physicist and surfer Garrett Lisi presents a controversial new model of the universe that -- just maybe -- answers all the big questions. If nothing else, it's the most beautiful 8-dimensional model of elementary particles and forces you've ever seen.

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The Caucus: Live Blog: The Last Tangle

Live coverage of the final debate between John McCain and Barack Obama.

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It's Blog Action Day!

Today bloggers everywhere will publish posts that discuss poverty in some way. By all posting on the same day we aim to change the conversation for the day, to raise awareness, start a global discussion and add momentum to an important cause. Join us!!

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Poverty

Today is Blog Action Day, and the theme is Poverty.

Jeffrey Sacks, from Columbia University has been advocating for many years now, the goal to end poverty.

As an economist, he has looked into the problem scientifically, and he sees a way out. He has done work already to end poverty and stated a series of landmarks to accomplish this goal.

He wrote a book, "The End of Poverty", where you can read how this can be accomplished.

I was born in a poor country, Mexico, and now I work in one of the poorest states in this country, Guerrero, I can attest to the determination of people in all walks of life to end this way of life, the life of poverty.

We all loose when many kids around the world go to bed hungry, this should not happen. A better future is possible.

Another man to remember today is Muhammad Yunus, for creating Grameen. He got the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize.


We have to look at poverty's face, to finish with it. As long as we deny its existence is not going to end.

Stocks Plunge 8% on Economic Gloom

Wall Street looked beyond the government’s bailout plan and saw more signs that the economy was in for a dramatic slowdown.

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The October Surprise - Global Panic

Key to understand about the weekend bailout scheme is that world governments plan to loot their treasuries to save capital interests and do practically nothing for ordinary people.

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Mexico: American Consulate in Monterrey Attacked

Two men attacked the U.S. Consulate in the northern Mexican city of Monterrey early Sunday morning, but damage was minimal and no injuries were reported.

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Why How Matters

In the financial-services boom, bubble and bust, we got away from the basics — from the fundamentals of prudent lending and borrowing.

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Cisco Embraces Linux in Battle Against Microsoft

This article brings up the sometimes competitive relationship between Cisco and Microsoft. It addresses how Linux may seem like Microsoft's kryptonite, while Cisco is embracing Linux by enabling software partners to easily develop on Cisco applications.

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Santa Ana Winds

When I lived in Santa Barbara, I remember these really hot winds going around. I assume that with a warming Earth, these winds may get warmer. There are fires going on right now in California. I wish people well. I have family there.

I am using Firefox 3.1 Beta 1, with Scribe 3.1.1.

I really don't notice anything earth chattering, but I have not poked around.

Biggest Of L.A. Wildfires Eludes Containment

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― Flames whirled dangerously close to homes Tuesday as gusty Santa Ana winds sent the biggest of southern California's wildfires flaring in hilly brushlands on Los Angeles' northern edge.

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Mexico Central Bank Will Probably Keep Rate Steady: Week Ahe

Oct. 13 (Bloomberg) -- Mexico's central bank will probably keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged this week on concern that inflation may accelerate even as economic growth slows.

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Oil-nation leaders may lose some clout as crude prices slip

MEXICO CITY - Fernando Garcia was going blind in his left eye. Then the government of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez came to his rescue, plucking him from his poor Mexico City neighborhood, flying him to Caracas and restoring his sight with free cataract surgery.

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Paulson Says Banks Must Deploy Capital

Speaking after President Bush, Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr. called on banks to “not take this new capital to hoard it, but to deploy it.”

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Nobel Prize in Economics

Professor Paul Krugman told Reuters:

""The people who assured us that markets work, that the private pursuit of profit always leads to a good result have been rather massively wrong," he said."

Well said.

Nobel winner Krugman says world recession likely

By Jon Hurdle PRINCETON, NJ (Reuters) - The world is likely headed for a deep recession despite the European-led plan to bail out banks hit by the credit meltdown, the U.S. economist who won the 2008 Nobel prize for economics said on Monday. Paul...

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Amusing, but Not Funny

Neil Postman warned us years ago about amusing ourselves to death. The end is near. Sara Rimer of The Times wrote an article last week that gave us a startling glimpse of just how mindless and self-destructive the U.S. is becoming.

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U.S. Investing $250 Billion in Banks

Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr. told nine leading bankers they would have to accept government investment for the good of the U.S. financial system.

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Sunday at Chilpancingo

Yesterday I went for a walk. I saw many young people protesting government measures to stop them in their task to be school teachers. They are from Ayotzinapa, and other towns all over South Mexico, like Teneria in the State of Mexico.

Twenty years ago one Ayotzinapa student died as a consequence of government repression. When they finished, a group of energetic and determined persons started a dance as soon as the rain came down strong. I thought they were also from Ayotzinapa, but I read today in the paper, that there were two independent activities vying for space in the center of town. They were respectful of each other; one group protesting and remembering their fallen ones, and the other one with an older memory. Five hundred and sixteen years ago, Christopher Columbus saw land, now called America, where these dancing people's ancestors used to live free.

While it was raining, and they were dancing, I couldn't help thinking of the coincident elements I was witnessing for over an hour.

This land has a long history.

Also my personal history is intertwined with this land. I went to the cemetery to set zempazuchitl flowers in the tombs of my cousins: when they died; one was 39, and the other 45 years old.

Beloved Cousins: Rest in Peace.

Stocks Rise Sharply After Vows of New Bank Capital

The major exchanges in New York moved sharply higher Monday on hopes that the global efforts taken over the weekend to control the crisis would stick.

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Britain and Germany Pledge Funds for Banks

Britain and Germany committed billions to prop up banks while the Federal Reserve announced further plans to ease the crisis.

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History and the Really Very Weird: the mood in Missouri

This is no ordinary moment. And it’s not a time, in history’s great sweep, for Dan Quayle’s “very weird people” to run the world.

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Economic Duress

Mexican elementary school teachers are on strike. Now we have some little ones coming with their parents to the University.

Mexicans adapt to new situations, until they cannot anymore.

When will that be?

Paul Krugman

Today we can read in the NYT:

"But the Brown government has shown itself willing to think clearly about the financial crisis, and act quickly on its conclusions. And this combination of clarity and decisiveness hasn’t been matched by any other Western government, least of all our own."

This is the clear thinking I expect from an intellectual like the Nobel Prize winner, Paul Krugman.

I first met this economist's work in "The Great Unraveling", a great book that more than ever must be a required reading book for those concerned about the economic situation of the world.

In this NYT article we can read also:

"This sort of temporary part-nationalization, which is often referred to as an “equity injection,” is the crisis solution advocated by many economists — and sources told The Times that it was also the solution privately favored by Ben Bernanke, the Federal Reserve chairman."

It seems that when it comes to financial issues, capitalist do not base their decisions on political slogans, they talk to intelligent men like Mr. Krugman.

Finally, I want to bring up this last point:

"It’s hard to avoid the sense that Mr. Paulson’s initial response was distorted by ideology. Remember, he works for an administration whose philosophy of government can be summed up as “private good, public bad,” which must have made it hard to face up to the need for partial government ownership of the financial sector."

Well said.

Gordon Does Good

With stunning speed, the British government defined the character of the worldwide rescue effort. Now other wealthy nations have to catch-up.

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Economix: Paul Krugman Wins Economics Nobel

Paul Krugman, a professor at Princeton University and an Op-Ed columnist for The New York Times, was awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Science on Monday.Mr. Krugman received the award for his work on international trade and economic geography. In particular, the prize committee lauded his work on for “having shown the effects of [

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Peso Plunge Squeezes Border | Newspaper Tree El Paso

The dramatic hit to the peso, which had been so strong against the dollar in recent months that talk of the “super peso” reemerged, will have significant effects on the US-Mexico border economy.

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Bordering on bad times: Brownsville merchants watch peso val

The recent slide of the Mexican peso has business owner Francisco Perez reflecting on an old adage-when Mexico sneezes, the Rio Grande Valley catches cold.

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Lennon and Selena in Chilpancingo

October 4, 2008

Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.

Today I went for a stroll in Chilpancingo.

Darling Boy; haunts my mind.

There was a neighborhood party going on at the San Francisco Church here, because today is San Francisco's day. Kids having a great time at the rides, people buying food and trinkets. I paid ninety cents for Lennon's CD, and heard an impersonation of Selena, right in front of the Church! Obviously with the priest's permission. So if I broke the law, I may still be pardoned by the priest. They kept calling the nice person singing with only a "bustier", or brazier, a boy. Then I looked at the Church door and there I saw a pro-life poster. I guessed, if you want to have more babies, it is better to let people see the flesh. At the end I realized it was really a boy, pretending to be a girl, pretending to be Selena.

Now I am listening to my CD, in my Mandriva powerd Toshiba Satellite Pro 4300 laptop. From the first to seventeenth tracks it sounds OK; it misbehaves on the last three songs. I guess that is the real punishment for paying so little for a CD.

It is haunting to hear Lennon sing about his beloved son, after seeing so many kids with their dads having a great time at the fair.

Father you left me, but I never left you.

And life goes on, and on.

It’s Time to Invest

Some investors say that the sell-off has gone too far and that stocks could rally if a downturn is not severe.

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Are We Rome? Tu Betchus!

The decline and fall of the American Empire echoes the experience of the Romans, who also tumbled into the trap of becoming overleveraged empire hussies.

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The Post-Binge World

The market is re-evaluating and re-pricing every asset in the world, without mercy. It is going to do whatever it’s going to do — whichever way greed and fear tug it.

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The Terrorist Barack Hussein Obama

The McCain campaign has crossed the line between tough negative campaigning and inciting vigilantism, and each day the mob howls louder.

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At 89, Seeger’s still got it

At 89, folk music legend Pete Seeger still has more to say.

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That link is broken. Here is another one.

The Fall of America, Inc.

Along with some of Wall Street's most storied firms, a certain vision of capitalism has collapsed. How we restore faith in our brand. By Francis Fukuyama

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Free Streaming Radiohead Concert

I just came across this amazing super sound scape of a free Radiohead concert.Here is a small sampling of their set list:National Anthem, No Surprises, The Bends, Paranoid Android, Everything in Its Right Place, and much more.The 2+ hour concert

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Intellectuals

Intellectuals are paid to think. They may be college professors, government advisors, think tank members, and whatever other imaginative positions, intellectuals may invent to get paid.

In return whoever pays, expects results: Ideas.

I am paid, maybe not to write about so many thinks as I write in this blog, but there are expectations that I will have ideas to move ahead Mathematics Education.

Before I was paid for physics ideas, and software engineering ideas also.

My friends at Lucent are being asked lately to go be paid somewhere else. I see hard times for many people soon. If I fail in seeing what really happens, is no good. I write here how I understand what I see, and what I expect to happen soon.

This week ending tomorrow, is historic. Nobel prizes were announced, the Mexican peso lost a few points in value, the stocks all over the world lost some points, the environment continued to be damaged, and the Earth to get warmer.

All these events are not new, maybe not always happen at the same time, but they are well known. My concern is that the coincidence may not be accidental. We do bad things, and bad things have bad consequences. In and on itself this bad week is not the problem, the problem is what we have been doing to the Earth for so many thousands of years now.

My hypothesis, is that Professor James Henson, and James Lovelock are right. We passed some thresholds, in this non-linear world we live in. Tighten your belts.

Welcome to the Warm World.

White House Overhauling Rescue - now looks like Democrats'

The new approach, which would have the government inject capital directly into banks, is one that administration officials had publicly opposed. This leverages the available funds authorized ( $700 billion ) by a factor of TEN, which is what Democrats wanted earlier. Paulson, Bush, and most of the rest of the world now agree. Holdouts: Republicans.

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Mexico Sells Record $6.4 Billion in Bid to Stem Peso's Rout

Oct. 10 (Bloomberg) -- Mexico's central bank sold a record $6.4 billion in the currency market today, stepping up its bid to quell a rout in the peso that threatens to bankrupt companies and ignite inflation in Latin America's second-biggest economy.

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McCain, Palin, GOP Nitwits

The G.O.P. has masked the terrible consequences of much that it has stood for over the decades. Now the mask has slipped.

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Math Skills Suffer in U.S., Study Finds

While the study suggests many girls have exceptional talent in math, they are rarely identified in the U.S., because culture discourages girls — and boys — from excelling.

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Economic Meltdown in America Saves the World from Peak Oil

Economic decline in the US would lead to a drop in oil consumption in the US and therefore free up a lot of oil on the international markets – 13 mbpd. This would likely postpone the effects of worldwide peak oil for a several years – oil having reached peak production in 2005 and since then declining in production.

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Group of 7 Nations Seek Coordination in Rescue

The United States and six other nations agreed to a plan to rescue the financial industry, but fell short of offering concrete steps to backstop bank lending.

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Stocks Fall Sharply in Early Trading in Asia

Asian stock markets plunged as investor sentiment was battered by the rout on Wall Street.

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Mexican Companies May Find Borrowing More Expensive (Update1

Oct. 10 (Bloomberg) -- Mexican credit markets will probably tighten as local companies that can't borrow in the U.S. seek funding closer to home, Deputy Central Bank Governor Guillermo Guemez Garcia said.

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Largest computing grid launched

Washington, Oct 04: The world’s largest computing grid has been launched, which would tackle mankind’s biggest data challenge from the Earth’s most powerful accelerator – the Large Hadron Collider (LHC).

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Spend the Bailout Money on the Middle Class

Take a tip from the New Deal: invest that $700 billion in jobs and mortgage aid for those who need it most.

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French Writer Wins Nobel Prize

Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio was praised by the Swedish Academy as an “author of new departures, poetic adventure and sensual ecstasy.”

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Finland's Martti Ahtisaari Wins Nobel Peace Prize

OSLO, Norway (AP) -- Finland's ex-president Martti Ahtisaari received the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for his efforts to build a lasting peace from Africa and Asia to Europe and the Middle East.

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Stocks Fall Sharply in Early Trading in Asia

Asian stock markets plunged as investor sentiment was battered by the rout on Wall Street.

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Black Friday? Markets brace for worse, and cry for help

If ever there was a setup for a Black Friday on Wall Street, this is it.

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Moment of Truth

If a new financial rescue plan is not announced soon, the world economy may experience a slump as severe as the Great Depression.

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Clearing the Ayers

John McCain may feel compelled to go back to his guilt-by-association theme. And this has me feeling very guilty about my associates.

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Is This the End?

Some years ago when some friends of mine told me the world was ending, I said to myself. I'll know when it is. Because they'll be signals all around. One, was an infinite correlation length, that is jargon for widespread correlation, in this case all over the Earth.

Well you can read below that IMF and World Bank meetings this week may show an unprecedented level of coherence.

That makes my eyebrows go up.

Is this the end?

Stocks Fall Sharply in Early Trading in Asia

Asia stocks dropped sharply, with Japan’s Nikkei index plunging 11 percent, while the yen and gold rose.

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Nations Weigh Global Action to Crisis

The U.S. and Britain appear to be converging toward a common solution for the financial chaos sweeping the world, one day before a crucial meeting of financial leaders begins in Washington.

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Torvalds talks about his brand new blog

Everybody who's anybody in the tech world has a blog, right? Well, Linus Torvalds didn't have a blog, at least not until launching what he calls a "trial" one last Thursday. "I'll have to see if there's much point to it as an outlet for any 'random crud' that I wouldn't post to the kernel or git mailing lists," he says.

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Hurricane Norbert grows, heads for Mexico coast: Scientific

Hurricane Norbert strengthened into a Category 3 major storm in the Pacific...

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Oxford school expands to tackle global challenges

Ian Goldin, director of the James Martin 21st Century School, tells Nature about his vision for interdisciplinarity.

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Apple to Launch an $800 Laptop?

The Inquisitr claims that some Apple retailers have already been given price lists for Apple's upcoming laptops and that there are 12 price points ranging from $800 to $3100. Current laptops are said to have only have 8 retail price points: 3 Macbooks (starting at $1099), 3 Macbook Pros and 2 Macb...

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Sell-off drives Mexican peso above 13-per-dollar mark

So much for the super peso.Traders are falling over themselves this week to unload Mexico’s currency, on fears that a U.S. economic downturn would savage Mexico’s economy.The peso plunged to nearly 13.2 per dollar on Thursday from 12.3 on Wednesday and 10.9 at the end of September.

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Hasta la Vista, Baby

George W. Bush’s treatment of Spain illustrates how not to approach foreign policy. It’s important to talk to friends, even when there is disagreement.

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This Looks Bad

Mexican President Felipe Calderon announced yesterday that seventeen pesos for one dollar was not going to last. We have dollars to sell.

The Dow went down below nine thousand points.

Sad day.

Dow Falls Below 9,000!

A late-day decline once again pushed the markets down sharply, with the Dow falling more than 600 points.

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Paul Krugman: Two kinds of problem

One thing I’ve been asked is why I’m not writing more about relief for homeowners and other kinds of bottom-up aid to the economy. Probably I should be saying more. But in defense, let me say that there are two kinds of economic problem right now.The most acute problems involve the run on the financial [...]

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Calderon Proposes Spending to Bolster Mexico Economy

Oct. 9 (Bloomberg) -- Mexican President Felipe Calderon proposed a stimulus package worth 1 percent of gross domestic product that includes spending on energy, infrastructure and education to help the economy weather a global credit crisis.

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Mexico to revise 2009 budget to ease crisis spread

MEXICO CITY: A top Mexican finance official says the government will revise its 2009 budget to ease the impact of the current global financial crisis.

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AOL Again

This is the latest:

"Dear AOL Journals user,

As we wrote in an e-mail on Sept. 30, AOL® Journals will permanently shut down on Oct. 31. It’s never an easy decision to shut down a feature, especially one like AOL Journals that some of our members have used for a long time. But with a decline in Journals usage, we have to look carefully at all of AOL’s features to make sure we’re providing as much value to our members as possible.

Though we know this might be an inconvenience, the good news is that we've partnered with Blogger.com to provide a smooth transition for your journal. Blogger is a free service from Google that makes it easy to share your thoughts with friends and the world. Blogger supports most of the features you've come to expect from AOL Journals, and it's easy to get started. If you wish to transfer your journal to Blogger, they will move your posts, comments and photos to your new blog on their service. When you're ready, go to this link to get started.

Remember, it's very important to save your Journals content before Oct. 31. If you choose not to move to Blogger, you'll need to save your information manually (for example, by copying and pasting its contents into a word processor).

Again, we appreciate your patience and understanding as we make this transition, and we hope you enjoy using Blogger.com.

Sincerely,

The AOL Journals Team"

Nambu, Kobayashi and Maskawa win Physics Nobel: Scientific A

Work on so-called symmetry breaking helped to shape the Standard Model and explain why matter won out over antimatter

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Election for Mayor in Huitzuco, October 5, 2008: PRD Won

I reported here that my cousin was mayor of Huitzuco. She still is, but now the nephew of my aunt was elected Mayor starting next year running in a different ticket.

PRD won Huitzuco.

His name is: Isidro Miranda Madrid.

All in the family.

PRD stands for Partido de la Revolución Democrática (Party of the Democratic Revolution).

‘arrancame la vida’ joins oscar race for mexico

MEXICO CITY — The Mexican film academy has selected the period piece “Arrancame la Vida” as its foreign-language Oscar submission for the 81st annual Academy Awards.

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Finally Nambu Gets the Physics Nobel Prize

This great Japanese-American physicist from the University of Chicago finally got the Nobel Prize for Physics. Yoichiro Nambu first used Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking in particle physics. String Theory owes him one of the first connections of relativistic strings and particle theory also.
The Nobel Citation Reads:
"for the discovery of the mechanism of spontaneous broken symmetry in subatomic physics"

Together with this physicist, science in Japan, was awarded international recognition for the work of Kobayashi and Maskawa,"for the discovery of the origin of the broken symmetry which predicts the existence of at least three families of quarks in nature". Kobayashi and Maskawa were the first to understand the mathematical implications of having three families of quarks. The K-M matrix, is a three dimensional matrix with unit determinant and complex numbers as entries. This is an economical way to code the properties of these three families, up, down and strange quarks.

The prize has to go to three people, Nicola Cabibbo, also deserved this recognition. It seems that the wounds of Second World War, have partially healed. Either the Nobel rules, or some lingering resentment took away the Prize from Cabibbo. He gave the mathematical description of two families: up and down quarks, and also their connection with the strange quark. It is more likely that the first reason, and not the second had to do with this decision.

To support my opinion I can also name a British-American Physicist who deserves to be remembered today:

Jeffrey Goldstone.

Not everybody who deserves it, gets the Nobel Prize; and not everybody that receives it, deserves it.

So it goes.

1 American, 2 Japanese Share Nobel Physics Prize

The prize was awarded for work exploring the hidden symmetries between elementary particles. In the 1960s, Dr. Nambu, who was born in Tokyo in 1921, suggested that some symmetries in the laws of nature might be hidden or "broken" in actual practice.

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Paul Krugman: Crisis on my mind

The plan was to discuss portfolio models of the exchange rate in Econ 553. But I’ve decided to switch the order of things, and move up the currency crisis discussion. Last minute list of readings for this morning:Garber and Svensson, “The operation and collapse of fixed exchange rate regimes,” NBER WP#4971Obstfeld, “Currency crises with sel

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Bob Herbert: A Fool’s Paradise

What we haven’t paid close enough attention to is the fact that there haven’t been enough good paying jobs to sustain an adequate standard of living.

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Paul Krugman: It’s a small world after all

We are all Brazilians nowOne point I think is really important in understanding the crisis is that there has been a huge increase in financial globalization just in the last few years — basically since 1995. The chart above shows rest-of-world assets in the United States (red) and US assets abroad (blue) as a percentage [...]

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Continued Fractions (Document in scribd)

Continued Fractions - Upload a Document to Scribd

Of Survival and Science: Scientific American

From street waif in war-torn Italy to "knocking out" the genes of mice--Mario R. Capecchi shows how genius springs from the most unlikely beginnings.

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Personal MagLev Train Pods Presented At CEATEC

It would seem that Tyco and Gakken have had a glimpse of the future. At the recent CEATEC exhibition they presented a personal Magnetic Levitation (MagLev) transportation system, which uses a magnetic field to make the vehicle hover around 1.2-inches above the track whilst propelling it along.

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Shi Huang on Creativity and Prime Numbers

Shi Huang  has just posted a paper at the  Los Alamos National Laboratory's electronic repository on his studies. The tile is:

Modeling the creative process of the mind by prime numbers and a simple proof of the Riemann Hypothesis

and the Abstract is:

" Numbers (positive integers) are the most fundamental creatures of the human mind and the foundation to the scientific understanding of nature. Some mathematicians have suspected a link between prime numbers and secrets of creation. Understanding creativity may help resolve the deepest mysteries of primes. The algorithm that programs the mind and makes the mind creative must be sufficient for the mind to create primes. I found that primes are directly linked to the creation algorithm of the mind. The essence of primes is the duality of uniqueness and uniformity together with the creation algorithm of the mind. The creative process of the mind is lawfully determined but the outcome is unpredictable. The mathematical equivalent or model of this process is the creation of primes. Primes have the inherent property of unpredictability but can be generated by the creation algorithm of the mind, termed the Prime Law, via a fully deterministic lawful process. This new understanding of the essence of primes can deduce some of the best-known properties of primes, including the Riemann Hypothesis (RH). Understanding human creativity is obviously the most fundamental of all scientific enquiries. That this understanding can directly lead to a solution to the RH, widely considered the most important unsolved problem in mathematics, shows a deep connection between creativity and mathematics."

Very intriguing.

Professor Hansen and Fascism

Inside the parameters of a free society, James Hansen has faced censorship. Some nobody named by the Bush administration to lead a Government agency actually tried to stop Professor Hansen from presenting his scientific results.

That person was eventually fired because he did not even have the bachelor's degree. In his application this person lied, he was caught by a watchful blogger. This blogger happened to know about this government official  from university days.

I hope this is the extent to which I have to report on Professor Hansen and fascism.

Scenario

Imagine, that as Jim Hansen is saying, global warming is here, and as Naomi Wolf says, Martial Law is here: What then?

Bush knows, he lied to get elected. Oil people know; they have enough money to know. They are getting prepared for what they KNOW will happen. Martial Law, seems more plausible this way.

I'll keep looking into it.

Martial Law and Environmental Crisis

I think the weather is odd.

I think that the Bush administration is authoritarian.

But do I believe that one plus the other means we are in a constitutional crisis as Wolf (below) claims?

I am not convinced.

Nevertheless this is one of those Black Swans that Nassim Taleb   writes about in his book, "The Black Swan", that one should take a look at, given the high stakes involved.

Interview - Naomi Wolf - Give Me Liberty

Interview with Naomi Wolf author of "Give Me Liberty: A Handbook for American Revolutionaries" given October 4, 2008 on Mind Over Matters, KEXP 90.3 FM Seattle.

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Martial Law in US?

Naomi Wolf, is warning us, we are in a state of emergency since October 1. Should we believe her?
Check it out.
There is a You Tube piece link above.
Bush should be arrested. She says.
Bush and Cheney are not allowed in Brattleboro, Vermont.

Palin on Global Warming

Here at RealClimate we understandably have an intense interest in the positions of the Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates regarding global warming and carbon emissions. What the stance bodes for future action on climate change is consequential in itself, but beyond that the ability to use sound science in this case serves as a ..

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Is Earth's Temperature Rising?

This is the poll's question this week. Below you can read about a hero of mine, Professor James Hansen.

I do believe it is rising. The first person that warned me to the seriousness of the problem was Senator John McCain!

I was watching c-span one day, and there it was, a Republican accepting the obvious! He talked about Inuit people having to move from the land. By the life of me I can't understand how did he chose a woman from Alaska, that doesn't seem to have a clue, about global warming, or about anything.

I knew about Al Gore, of course; but it really struck a chord to find out that an American ex-prisoner of war, was concerned also.

We should pay attention.

Here in Chilpancingo, we have a nice rainy day today.

Global Warming: Are We Beyond the Tipping Point?

The basic proposition behind the science of climate change is so firmly rooted in the laws of physics that no reasonable person can dispute it. Adding carbon dioxide (CO2) to the atmosphere will make it warm up. The world's most outspoken climatologist argues that today's carbon dioxide levels are already dangerously too high. What can we do?

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Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine: Scientific American P

Germany's Harald Zur Hausen and France's Luc Montagnier and Francoise Barre-Sinoussi share this year's Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine. The two French scientists discovered HIV, which quickly led to blood screening and treatments. The German showed that cervical cancer was caused by the human papilloma virus, paving the way to a vaccine. Stev

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Keep SASOL stock; buy more shares, too- Syracuse.com

A. It's a common perception that the United States imports most of its oil from the Middle East. Actually our largest source of oil is Canada and our second largest source of oil is Mexico. Saudi Arabia and the Middle East rank a distant third and fourth.

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Repeat after me: pigs can’t fly. Kipling on Palin.

Some truths seem self-evident. But let’s face it, the whole Wall Street debacle was based on the fathomless human ability to disregard facts and believe in cloud-cuckoo-land. Palin just doesn't get it.

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Health Care Destruction

Republicans still hate Medicare and have not been able to kill it. Since that is out, John McCain is going after insurance of nonelderly Americans instead.

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Building Malls and Houses?

To tell you the truth the year I lost my job at Lucent, I did not like what I saw. Instead of pouring in money to beat the rest of the world in building the next Internet; all I saw was more malls. Who ordered that ? I thought. The simple answer I gave myself, is that  investors were clueless, just following dad's advice. Now we have this mortgage crisis.

I am afraid I was right.

White men with cash and no imagination. If it turns out differently, I'll be happy, my family lives in the States, but I have the odd feeling that I was right.

The Chinese did invest in the new Internet. As opposed to the fifties, we should say now: the Chinese are coming, instead of the Russians are coming. And  you know what? They want back the money they loaned us.

So it goes.

Swedish Spoken Here

The current crisis has made the United States a debtor nation. By being more intertwined and dependent on the rest of the world, the country’s power has been diminished.

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Pitbull Palin Mauls McCain

The 2008 election is now an Obama-Palin race about “the future,” and the only person who doesn’t seem to know it is Mr. Past, poor old John McCain.

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Economic Unrest Shifts Electoral Battlegrounds

Barack Obama’s ambitious strategy to make incursions into Republican territory is gaining new force, while John McCain is scaling back his efforts to capture Democratic states. Mr. McCain’s advisers said their only hope was that the issue of the economy would recede somewhat from the public consciousness.

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Palin’s Alternate Universe ( or reality challenged?)

In such a serious moment in American history, it’s hard to believe that someone with Sarah Palin’s limited skills could possibly be playing a leadership role.

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Krugman: Raising the white flag of surrender — to Medicare

Unbelievable. Sarah Palin finished her closing remarks by quoting Ronald Reagan. It was on a recording he made for Operation Coffeecup — a campaign organized by the American Medical Association to block the passage of Medicare.

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Obama Has Met Ayers, but the Two Are Not Close

Records suggest Barack Obama has played down contacts with Bill Ayers, who helped found the Weathermen.

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Joe Biden's Tears: the Political Power of Paternal Love

Joe Biden did more for the equality of the sexes with his honest display of paternal emotion during the vice presidential debate than Sarah Palin's presence on the executive ticket has or will ever do. Biden visibly teared up when he rebutted the idea that "just because I am a man" he didn't understand what it was like to wonder whether a child wou

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House Nears Vote on Bailout Bill

The debate was a do-over for the House, which rejected the $700 billion economic bailout package on Monday.

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Mexican Peso Drops to One-Year Low on Economic Growth Concer

Oct. 2 (Bloomberg) -- Mexico's peso dropped to a one-year low amid concern a global economic slowdown will reduce demand for emerging-market assets.

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Latin America's economies Keeping their fingers crossed

In Latin America, the most trenchant opponents of globalised finance look most likely to suffer at its hands

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Falling Oil Price Is a Positive Note Amid Turmoil

If prices keep dropping, consumers will have billions more dollars in their wallets, giving the economy some support.

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Paul Krugman: Edge of the Abyss

The financial news since the middle of last month has been grim. And what’s truly scary is that we’re entering a period of severe crisis with weak, confused leadership.

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William Rowan Hamilton

This great Irish scientist of the nineteenth century invented quaternions.

Kinematics is the mathematical part of Mechanics. Hamilton contributed to Kinematics greatly, his contributions also allowed a unified description of waves and particles, before Quantum Mechanics.

I wonder how much of Mechanics is Kinematics and how much is Dynamics. The latter contains the Natural Laws, the former the mathematical description. The question has to do with how much our mathematics reflect the world out there.

Were quaternions purely kinematical?

It comes to mind the case of quarks, the "quaternions of SU(3)".  Murray Gell-Mann got a Nobel Price for using this "Dynamics" (?) to describe components of protons and neutrons.

When does mathematics stop being mere description, and becomes Natural Law?

Mexican Farm Leader Dies After Lighting Himself on Fire in P

A Mexican man who doused himself with gasoline and set himself on fire as a political protest has died.

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