Unable to sell homes, brokers arrested for arson

A husband and wife real estate team were arrested for arson and insurance fraud for burning down their own house in Tracy, CA.

They’d lost several properties due to foreclosure amidst grandiose plans to build a 25,000 sq ft home. Sadly, they have five children, I wonder what happens to them if mom and [...]

Thousands Of rusting ship hulls are a fitting tribute to the speculative market bubble

Qinhungdao (Chinese coast) – note the pattern that allows any active ships to actually enter the harbor.

More of the ghost ships, anchored tankers hidden where they hope you won’t see them. Zero Hedge mashes up more data to track ships idled by the recession.

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Backyard obstacle course for squirrels, with peanut rewards at end

Naomi Wolf: US protests are “Disneyland activism” due to bureaucracy

YouTube

Naomi Wolf, author of The End of America, argues that bureaucracy has killed effective protesting because mass social protests in the U.S. now have a feeling of “Disneyland activism.”

“It feels fake, because it is fake,” she says.

She says protesting in the US has been neutered by endless bureaucratic hurdles [...]

Anti-health care Blue Dog ensnared in real estate deal with Big Pharm

Current meeting location for Joint Congressional Task Force on Ethics and Accountability on Government

Rep, Mike Ross (D-AK) sold the land his pharmacy was on to a major drug chain for way more than the appraised value. He then got considerably more for the pharmacy and a non-compete agreement. Two weeks after the sale, [...]

Buckeye Bullet 2 claims speed record for fuel cell vehicles, 300.9 mph

[It is] the first hydrogen vehicle to top 300 mph and the fastest FIA recorded speed for an electric drive vehicle.

From The Buckeye Bullet 2 blog

It is designed and built by Ohio State University students, in the College of Engineering, out of the Center for Automotive Research in Columbus, Ohio.

And the [...]

Pittsburgh G20 festivities

Rolling a dumpster towards the police, getting teargassed in return.

Obama caves to bank pressure on consumer financial protection

The Obama Administration dropped plans to force financial institutions to offer “plain vanilla” financial products that are simple enough for consumers to understand.

There’s no good reason for this capitulation, except for the financial lobby has so effectively captured Congress that no reform would be able to get through with such a common-sense provision [...]

More on tidal turbine tests in Bay of Fundy

Globe And Mail

Treehugger has a comprehensive report from multiple sources with images and video on the three types of tidal turbine to be tested in the Bay of Fundy. There will be video cameras near the turbines to monitor them. One concern is the possibility the turbines might hurt fish.

Why the Bay [...]

Sen. Dodd will fight for lower overdraft charges but not for fairer mortgages

Sen. Dodd (D-CT) wants to crack down on overdraft fees, so maybe you’ll just get dinged $10 for an overdraft instead of a larcenous $35. This must make him the champion of the little guy, right? Not hardly. He’ll toss you that little bone, but when it comes to the important issues, he’s right [...]