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67 Comments
Those pesky dinosaurs, always getting themselves discovered. Their mere existence disproves the childish creationist notion that the planet is only 6,000 years old (or 8,000, or 10,000, whatever number the creationists dream up)
New Species Of Prehistoric Giants Discovered In The Sahara
ScienceDaily (Dec. 17, 2008) — Dinosaur hunters on a month-long expedition to the Sahara desert have returned home in time for Christmas with more than they ever dreamed of finding. They have unearthed not one but two possible new species of extinct animals. Their success marks one of the most exciting discoveries to come out of Africa for 50 years.
The team have discovered what appears to be a new type of pterosaur and a previously unknown sauropod, a species of giant plant-eating dinosaur. Both would have lived almost one hundred million years ago.
The palaeontologists discovered a large fragment of beak from a giant flying reptile and a more than one metre long bone from a sauropod, which indicates an animal of almost 20 metres (65 feet) in length. The discovery of both is extremely rare.
The expedition was composed of scientists from the University of Portsmouth, University College Dublin (UCD) and the Université Hassan II in Casablanca and was led by UCD palaeontologist, Nizar Ibrahim.
More real science (something creationists don’t know much about) at:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081216114750.htm
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/28/business/28wamu.html?_r=1
The Reckoning
By Saying Yes, WaMu Built Empire on Shaky Loans
Article Tools Sponsored By
By PETER S. GOODMAN and GRETCHEN MORGENSON
Published: December 27, 2008
“We hope to do to this industry what Wal-Mart did to theirs, Starbucks did to theirs, Costco did to theirs and Lowe’s-Home Depot did to their industry. And I think if we’ve done our job, five years from now you’re not going to call us a bank.”
Sandy Huffaker for The New York Times
“It was just disheartening,” said Sherri Zaback, a mortgage screener for Washington Mutual. “Just spit it out and get it done. That’s they wanted us to do. Garbage in, garbage out.”
The Reckoning
Mortgage Factory
PUSH TO GROW Former employees say that with Kerry Killinger in charge, WaMu became a loan factory, ignoring borrowers’ incomes.
— Kerry K. Killinger, chief executive of Washington Mutual, 2003
SAN DIEGO — As a supervisor at a Washington Mutual mortgage processing center, John D. Parsons was accustomed to seeing baby sitters claiming salaries worthy of college presidents, and schoolteachers with incomes rivaling stockbrokers’. He rarely questioned them. A real estate frenzy was under way and WaMu, as his bank was known, was all about saying yes.
Yet even by WaMu’s relaxed standards, one mortgage four years ago raised eyebrows. The borrower was claiming a six-figure income and an unusual profession: mariachi singer.
Mr. Parsons could not verify the singer’s income, so he had him photographed in front of his home dressed in his mariachi outfit. The photo went into a WaMu file. Approved.
“I’d lie if I said every piece of documentation was properly signed and dated,” said Mr. Parsons, speaking through wire-reinforced glass at a California prison near here, where he is serving 16 months for theft after his fourth arrest — all involving drugs.
While Mr. Parsons, whose incarceration is not related to his work for WaMu, oversaw a team screening mortgage applications, he was snorting methamphetamine daily, he said.
“In our world, it was tolerated,” said Sherri Zaback, who worked for Mr. Parsons and recalls seeing drug paraphernalia on his desk. “Everybody said, ‘He gets the job done.’ ”
At WaMu, getting the job done meant lending money to nearly anyone who asked for it — the force behind the bank’s meteoric rise and its precipitous collapse this year in the biggest bank failure in American history.
On a financial landscape littered with wreckage, WaMu, a Seattle-based bank that opened branches at a clip worthy of a fast-food chain, stands out as a singularly brazen case of lax lending. By the first half of this year, the value of its bad loans had reached $11.5 billion, nearly tripling from $4.2 billion a year earlier.
Interviews with two dozen former employees, mortgage brokers, real estate agents and appraisers reveal the relentless pressure to churn out loans that produced such results. While that sample may not fully represent a bank with tens of thousands of people, it does reflect the views of employees in WaMu mortgage operations in California, Florida, Illinois and Texas.
http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2008/12/security-fraud-prosecutions-down-87-since-2000/
Some toothless watchdog:
This year, the S.E.C. has brought the fewest number of securities fraud prosecutions since 1991. That’s according to the data that the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), a research group at Syracuse University, has amassed.
Soft on White Collar Crime, by the Numbers:
• 2008 had 133 prosecutions for securities fraud (thru Dec 1) versus 437 cases in 2000, a 70% drop. Form the peak of 513 in 2002, prosecutions are down by 74%;
• S.E.C. investigations that led to Justice Depart prosecutions for securities fraud dropped from 69 in 2000 to just 9 in 2007, a decline of 87%.
• Non criminal prosecutions (i.e., fines) for white collar crimes increased – from 503 in 2000 to 636 in 2008 – a 26.4% increase.
• “Deferred prosecution agreements” — essentially an agreement not to prosecute, so long as the accused stays out of further trouble;
NYT Excerpt:
“Federal officials are bringing far fewer prosecutions as a result of fraudulent stock schemes than they did eight years ago, according to new data, raising further questions about whether the Bush administration has been too lax in policing Wall Street.
Legal and financial experts say that a loosening of enforcement measures, cutbacks in staffing at the Securities and Exchange Commission, and a shift in resources toward terrorism at the F.B.I. have combined to make the federal government something of a paper tiger in investigating securities crimes.
There were 133 prosecutions for securities fraud in the first 11 months of this fiscal year. That is down from 437 cases in 2000 and from a high of 513 cases in 2002, when Wall Street scandals from Enron to WorldCom led to a crackdown on corporate crime, the data showed.
At the S.E.C., agency investigations that led to Justice Department prosecutions for securities fraud dropped from 69 in 2000 to just 9 in 2007, a decline of 87 percent, the data showed.
Federal officials took issue with some of the data compiled by the Syracuse group and said that they had maintained a strong commitment to rooting out fraud and abuse in the stock markets. While the S.E.C. could not provide numbers of its own on criminal cases arising from its investigations, Scott Friedstad, the deputy director of enforcement at the commission, said the numbers did not reflect “the reality that I see on the ground.”
Any woman who thinks the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach is aiming about 10 inches too high.
– Adrienne E. Gusoff
Perfection would be somehow combining the two organs.
Three in the Best of Opinion line were by me, I must be like the all time O.L. champ!
2008 was the year man-made global warming was disproved
Easily one of the most important stories of 2008 has been all the evidence suggesting that this may be looked back on as the year when there was a turning point in the great worldwide panic over man-made global warming. Just when politicians in Europe and America have been adopting the most costly and damaging measures politicians have ever proposed, to combat this supposed menace, the tide has turned in three significant respects.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/christopherbooker/3982101/2008-was-the-year-man-made-global-warming-was-disproved.html
Kids of all ages?
http://www.nick.com/games/bgh-games/nicktoons-global-multiplayer.jhtml
I just wish the game had a denier character to laugh at.
Nathaniel,
You actually believe that Booker refutes AGW science? LOL!
If you believe what Booker says, you should inhale a lot of asbestos fibers.
‘Denialists scraping the bottom of the barrel‘
http://scienceblogs.com/deltoid/2008/12/denialists_scraping_the_bottom.php
“You have to think that global warming denialist Matt Drudge must be getting desperate when he touts a column by Christopher “White asbestos is harmless” Booker arguing that winter has disproved man-made global warming:”
More at link.
Did you know?
You can recycle almost anything. Try it for a month. You’ll be amazed how much we throw away that we don’t need to.
http://www.recyclewichita.org/
The recycling center at 725 E Clark is staffed by friendly and helpful volunteers. You can drive right on in, drop off your recyclables, and leave knowing you are part of the solution.
More about Nathaniel’s climate science expert(sic).
http://www.realclimate.org/wiki/index.php?title=Christopher_Booker
Nathaniel,
Please do NOT click on my links about Christopher Booker. I would not want you to learn how gullible and ignorant you are re AGW science.
Most forms of asbestos are harmless.
You’re exactly correct, beber. Only the African form used in maritime and power plants is dangerous. The asbestos used in most construction is domestic and safe.
Just back from a walk to the store.
Two generations after the crying Indian and Woodsy Owl, people are a LOT better about not throwing their trash about.
It’s probably several orders of magnitude better than when I was a kid. Then, there was always trash everywhere.
But stil? In that short walk, I found several aluminum cans, plastic bottles, paper cups ALL of these recyclable or at LEAST finding a trash can.
I’ve retrieved the items as I always do. They’ll find their way to the recycle center. What if we all did that on a short walk every day??
Hank posted December 28, 2008 at 1:41 pm
The asbestos used in most construction is domestic and safe.
————
Will Hank and beber do a medical study to prove that? Grind up some asbestos floor tiles, siding, etc. and inhale the fibers all day, for years.
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/asbestos.html
“I’ve retrieved the items as I always do. They’ll find their way to the recycle center. What if we all did that on a short walk every day??” — BlueJay
——-
You’re to be commended! Thanks from me. You are so right about how greatly we could improve our city if we each did a small part. The walk would help each of us personally too!
I am the self-appointed ‘litter picker upper’ at a tiny nearby city park. My job is never done, proving how many litterers walk through that park. I have lessons to learn from you as what I pick up I leave in the park dumpster instead of recycling.
“Three in the Best of Opinion line were by me, I must be like the all time O.L. champ!” — Phantom
——
You write some great opinions here too! I enjoyed reading those in this morning’s paper. I don’t know which ones were yours, but several could have been. Thanks for sharing — both here and there!
Thanks Linda.
The recycle center IS along my line of travel.
We really need more recycle centers in various locations.
Once you really START recycling, you realize just how MUCH we throw away. It can lead to clutter unless you can make a fairly regular trip to the recycle center. The Dillons bins help. But it would be nice if the city did something too.
Kids of all ages?
============
Really Bluejay, thank-you for the link. I have never been able to find the time to participate in childish websites like you provided.
grinding up any solid and breathing it is not likely to be good for your health.
Well you sure don’t invest that time in your posts there roach. Or if you do, we are not getting much return on your investment.
beber posted December 28, 2008 at 6:45 pm
grinding up any solid and breathing it is not likely to be good for your health.
——————
So you do not want to breath tiny asbestos fibers 24/7, for many years? Why not?
beber posted December 28, 2008 at 1:10 pm
Most forms of asbestos are harmless.
Cosmos has never used asbestos plates during delicate torching or welding procedures.
Nathaniel’s climate science expert(sic) claims that white asbestos is safe, so it must be true! /sarcasm OFF
‘The patron saint of charlatans is again spreading dangerous misinformation
The Sunday Telegraph columnist Christopher Booker has published 38 articles about asbestos – and every one is wrong’
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/sep/23/controversiesinscience.health
Yes Cosmos,
I think someone 20’s ago told us that particulate asbestos was bad for us folk. That is common knowledge.
‘Asbestos-induced lung injury among Danish jewelry workers.’
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7892826
Particulate fiberglass is also bad, but fiberglass is used commonly.
ANTI osted December 28, 2008 at 7:46 pm
I think someone 20’s ago told us that particulate asbestos was bad for us folk. That is common knowledge.
————–
Nathaniel’s expert(sic) says that particulates of white asbestos is NOT “bad for us folk”.
The point is, it depends on the form.
If I dried and ground up a enviro-lib and spewed them into the air in a compact area with human workers, it would be bad for them.
Cosmos, I haven’t snorted white asbestos….so I can’t give you the details on the effects.
I am going to poop my pants Cosmos if you are looking up fiberglass particulate….
I have been on a cheese and deer sausage diet for a few days, so I am waiting for something to bust loose!
BTW,
Hope you had a wonderful Christmas.
ANTI posted December 28, 2008 at 7:57 pm
I am going to poop my pants Cosmos if you are looking up fiberglass particulate….
———–
Why should I switch topics? My point was that Booker, the author of Nathaniel’s 11:07 am post, is NOT credible.
Why should I switch topics? My point was that Booker, the author of Nathaniel’s 11:07 am post, is NOT credible.
—————–
Yeah yeah, I’ve seen it a thousand times from you Cosmos…so I dunno why you should switch topics.
You will have to get Nathan’s opinion on the source.
It doesn’t concern me.
ANTI posted December 28, 2008 at 8:28 pm
You will have to get Nathan’s opinion on the source.
It doesn’t concern me.
—————-
You AGW deniers seem to believe that anybody who denies AGW science is a credible expert.
You AGW deniers seem to believe that anybody who denies AGW science is a credible expert.
===============
No, not really…Just the ones that have walked away from being bastardized by the IPCC.(or what ever the political initials are, not science)
If I dried and ground up a enviro-lib and spewed them into the air
===============================================
Can you do that?
Can you do that?
=======
Well you can, just not legally….special permit.
You can’t imagine the legal hoops I had to jump threw!
I’m reminded of the movie Fargo and the disposal of the body. Didn’t they grind the body up and the machine spit the bloody parts out over a frozen lake?
Fargo…
————
Now, I was just joking around..
Anti, it’s a wood chipper. Something you might find around someone who eats deer suasage, limburger cheese, and washes it down with buckets of beer.
Ha ha…buuuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrrpppppp!!!
Ahh, what the Christ!
Peace out….gotta lube my chipper…
ANTI posted December 28, 2008 at 9:28 pm
No, not really…Just the ones that have walked away from being bastardized by the IPCC.(or what ever the political initials are, not science)
———————
The IPCC does not do climate science — you can not refute the science from a group that did not do the science.
You AGW deniers have to refute the science done by the climate scientists, but you people have not, and can not do that.
I’m just getting a mental picture of you and maybe a few other like-minded people standing around in the snow, sucking on a beer, watching enviro-lib goo come out of the chipper.
I’d be leaning back against an evergreen tree, beer in one hand, maybe a good cigar in the other, trying to stay upwind of the whole affair.
Do you suppose climate scientists would come flying out of the wood chipper to the same degree and mess as a enviro-lib?
Rrrrr!
Rrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
RRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
Damn these old chain saws are hard to start.
BTW, anything you introduce into the atmosphere has the potential to add to GW.
Maybe just tie the bodies to concrete blocks and sink em? We do that with Christmas trees in my whereabouts. Makes good structure for fish.
RoaCH
Posted December 28, 2008 at 9:53 pm | Permalink
Rrrrr!
Rrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
RRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
Damn these old chain saws are hard to start.
—
Try primin’ ‘em with the congealed “logic” of any young-Earth creationist, bro!
That 5,000-year-old crude (and Pagan) reasoning can’t be beat when it comes to startin’ fars, yo!
lol
Pedant,
it’s just a little spark we needs dontchano?
Not sure how old the crude is, but judging by the
liberal farts, I’d say someone crawled up there and died quite sometime ago.
It’s plainly not just a beer fart.
RoaCH
Posted December 28, 2008 at 10:09 pm | Permalink
Not sure how old the crude is, but judging by the…
—
lol
Clue: chances are more than excellent it’s more than 10,000 years old.
I have no clue where yer goin’ with your beer farts, btw.
It’s all crude Pedant. No matter how you look at it.
RoaCH
Posted December 28, 2008 at 10:18 pm | Permalink
It’s all crude Pedant. No matter how you look at it.
—
Excellent. Nothing better’n seein’ an old so-called conservative man back off a young man’s so-called foolishness.
Let’s hope you can keep up the keepin’ up goin’ forward! :D
“Why should I switch topics? My point was that Booker, the author of Nathaniel’s 11:07 am post, is NOT credible.”
cosmos, his credibility is leaves you face down in the dust.
You are a hysteric, and your “science” harms the economy and hence mankind. You are a menace to society.
Fortunately you are impotent with respect to effect, so while you are annoying, you are of no consequence.
Well what “consequence” are you bawksy?
YOU couldn’t even stand up to lil’ ol me.
NOBODY knows you except for your words here.
Which is of course, worth nothing.
Even more fortunate to society is Boxlock20’s dead soul, the oh-so obvious communication of which will never result in his will. Like, duh.
You might try reviving it BL20. Reviving your soul, if possible, would be infinitely helpful in furthering your viewpoint(s).
I’ve always hesitated to give you this news because it furthered my means, but now — for the sake of man — I’m not so penurious.
Give it a shot. Who knows, it might work.
bawks posted December 28, 2008 at 10:25 pm
cosmos, his credibility is leaves you face down in the dust.
—————-
Only in your pathetic, ignorant, delusional fantasy world, bawks.
RoaCH posted December 28, 2008 at 10:00 pm
BTW, anything you introduce into the atmosphere has the potential to add to GW.
————-
Nope! For example, aerosols (from volcanoes, coal-fired power plants, etc) cause COOLING.
But thank you for proving that you are ignorant of simple, basic facts of climate science.
Sorry Cosmos, the most reverend know-it-all of the Weblog.
But blood is a liquid. As it is sprayed into the atmosphere, it is adding to GW as vapor.
Of course, we all know how super smart you are with your brainiac brain from the good wizard of oz, but you are a bit too big for yer britches sometimes.
I imagine you are an underdeveloped 20 year old, no GF, no sex, no life, and packin a boner just dying for it’s first release in a moist atmosphere.
But please continue to post crap no one really gives a shit about…. if it makes you feel smat, I mean SMART.
Personally, I don’t have the time nor inclination to dwell all day on one subject to appear as a superior being on a small town Kansas blog.
But carry on Cosmos. Both sides are scrolling over.
The blues will post back to you occassionally, to give you moral support and to make themselves feel “good” about their daily contribution to the GW koolaid.
Onward GW soldiers, marching as to war!
With the cross of science, marching on before!
Pedant
Posted December 28, 2008 at 10:33 pm | Permalink
I’ve always hesitated to give you this news because it furthered my means…
—
Duh, ends (not means).
Still: don’t even THiNK about hurting the females in your family in your attempt to revive your soul, BL20.
Not a hair on ‘em, bro, not even one…
Remember this: in your worldview – I hope to your god this is in your worldview, anyway – this means you can never make it into heaven if the women in your life are harmed due to your shortcomings, even if your shortcomings are pointed out by others.
Harsh, but your soul is now so obviously crazed it had to be said.
good night; good luck; god bless —-
whatever you conceive god to be!!
blessings ALL in the coming year!!
blessings on the peaceful transfer of power in our great natiion!!
so mote it be!!
“YOU couldn’t even stand up to lil’ ol me.”
BlowJay, I helped you show not only yourself, but all who have nothing better to do than pay any attention to this, that you are the childish immature gullible imbecile you are.
Thank you for the opportunity to continue with your lesson. Quite possibly even you won’t forget.
Whatever made you so misguided as to think somebody would want to ever actually meet an obnoxious anonymous blogger in a stupid parking lot, let alone one as hotheaded as you. Foolish notion.