Nearly 29% of all homeowners owe more than their house is worth!
Real-estate Web site Zillow.com said that overall, the number of borrowers who are underwater climbed to 26.9 million at the end of the first quarter from 16.3 million at the end of the fourth quarter. The latest figure represents 28.9% of all homeowners, according to Zillow, up from 17.6% in the fourth quarter and 14.3% in the third quarter.
… I’m too busy to blog. Watching vintage episodes of Rocky and Bullwinkle, Woody Woodpecker and The Three Stooges on Hulu.
“While Obama and Biden waited in line, the lunch crowd stood and gawked, some took pix with cell phones. The two guys in line ahead of them studied their menus, oblivious to who was behind them.”
Pool reporter Linda Feldmann has the story.
I’ve always thought it cool when the president, whoever he might be, hangs with the regular folks.
You can get a free copy of Windows 7 to play with — it’ll be good until March 1, 2010.
Windows 7 Release Candidate Customer Preview Program
I wouldn’t replace my operating system with a Release Candidate (that means more than beta, but not yet for sale), but I’m using it for Windows on my Macs. It seems better than either XP or Vista, but I don’t begin to put any stress on it.
It’s a 2.4 or 3.0 GB download depending on whether you need 32 or 64 bit.
Our old friend Ed Bott (he used to comment around here) writes what to expect from Windows 7.
“[LeBron’s mom] is only 40 years old; she should date Favre!”
Will Leitch after commenting that he’d “rather see Dan Marino come back” [than Favre].
The Big Picture has 29 terrific photos taken at this year’s Kentucky Derby.
This is from a year ago, but I still think it’s cute.
Buy kids all the video games and Disney princess paraphernalia in the world — or let them drop stones down a storm drain grate at the soccer field. Which to you think they’ll choose?
Five of The Sweeties® demonstrate. Click image for larger version.
Always fun to browse the Time 100 each year and see if you know who everybody is (and why they’d be on the list).
Another post in response to Ephraim’s question, “What is the basic principle behind your ‘liberalness’.”
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” — Thomas Jefferson, assisted by John Adams and Benjamin Franklin
I just heard on NPR that there is going to be a Lone Ranger movie. I’m pretty sure this will be a disaster for my childhood heroes, especially Tonto who was, when you think about it, the more fascinating character.
The reason I’m fearful is because Johnny Depp is signed to play Tonto.
Muddy sent the link to this video along.
13,500 Sing “Hey Jude” in Trafalgar Square
It’s kinda stupid, but infectious as it goes along. Go ahead, sing along. It won’t hurt you.
As I said, we’re all in this together.
Continuing again in response to Ephraim’s question, “What is the basic principle behind your ‘liberalness’.”
In his comment, Ephraim tells of a niece and her partner who are using the welfare system to support an irresponsible lifestyle. Taking the story at face value, which assumes two able-bodied adults, I agree that their choices deserve censure.
What I’m not sure about is your purpose in telling the story, Ephraim. Is dismay or anger about welfare cheats a “basic principle” of your political beliefs? I have already agreed that their behavior offends me too, but I really don’t have a core value problem. Are your niece and her boyfriend any worse than a butcher with his thumb on the scale, a used car dealer who turns back the odometer, the financier cheating on his income taxes, the office worker surfing Craigslist at work? That is, aren’t they all just petty thieves working the system — and aren’t those kind of people always going to be with us?
I don’t like any of those behaviors, but addressing them is not by itself important enough to me to be a basic principle.
Continuing in response to Ephraim’s question, “What is the basic principle behind your ‘liberalness’.”
Liberal is defined as “favoring proposals for reform, open to new ideas for progress, and tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; broad-minded.”
That being the definition, I’ve never quite understood how the L-word came to be an epithet. After all, the opposite of liberal then is “opposed to proposals for reform, closed to new ideas for progress, and intolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; narrow-minded.” Given that choice, call me liberal every time.
In a comment Ephraim asked, “What is the basic principle behind your ‘liberalness’.”
As best I can say it, that principle is, “We’re all in this life together.” Or, as others have put it:
“[T]thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” Leviticus 19-18
“Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.” Matthew 7-12
“And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.” Luke 6-31
“Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you.” Muhammad, The Farewell Sermon
“One should never do that to another which one regards as injurious to one’s own self. This, in brief, is the rule of dharma. Other behavior is due to selfish desires.” Brihaspati, Mahabharata
“Tse-kung asked, ‘Is there one word that can serve as a principle of conduct for life?’ Confucius replied, ‘It is the word ‘shu’ — reciprocity. Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire.'” Analects XV.24
“Regard your neighbor’s gain as your own gain, and your neighbor’s loss as your own loss.” T’ai Shang Kan Ying P’ien
“The heart of the person before you is a mirror. See there your own form.” Shinto
“Ascribe not to any soul that which thou wouldst not have ascribed to thee, and say not that which thou doest not.” Baha’u’llah
“All things are our relatives; what we do to everything, we do to ourselves. All is really One.” Black Elk
“The inherent worth and dignity of every person. Justice, equity and compassion in human relations.” Unitarian Universalist Principles
Dick Dale, The King of the Surf Guitar, is 72 today. Let’s go trippin’.
Dick Dale wasn’t nicknamed “King of the Surf Guitar” for nothing: he pretty much invented the style single-handedly, and no matter who copied or expanded upon his blueprint, he remained the fieriest, most technically gifted musician the genre ever produced. Dale’s pioneering use of Middle Eastern and Eastern European melodies (learned organically through his familial heritage) was among the first in any genre of American popular music, and predated the teaching of such “exotic” scales in guitar-shredder academies by two decades. The breakneck speed of his single-note staccato picking technique was unrivalled until it entered the repertoires of metal virtuosos like Eddie Van Halen, and his wild showmanship made an enormous impression on the young Jimi Hendrix. But those aren’t the only reasons Dale was once called the father of heavy metal. Working closely with the Fender company, Dale continually pushed the limits of electric amplification technology, helping to develop new equipment that was capable of producing the thick, clearly defined tones he heard in his head, at the previously undreamed-of volumes he demanded. He also pioneered the use of portable reverb effects, creating a signature sonic texture for surf instrumentals. And, if all that weren’t enough, Dale managed to redefine his instrument while essentially playing it upside-down and backwards — he switched sides in order to play left-handed, but without re-stringing it (as Hendrix later did).
It’s Dale and “Misirlou” behind the credits at the beginning of Pulp Fiction.
Academy Award nominee Richard Jenkins is 62. The Visitor, if you haven’t seen it, do so.
Randy Travis is 50, forever and ever, amen.
George Will is 68 today, so come to think of it, having a holiday today would be too much like being a teenager and going to the beach with your parents.
Audrey Hepburn would have been 80 today. (She died in 1993.) Ms. Hepburn was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role five times, winning the first time for Roman Holiday in 1954. (The other nominations were for Sabrina, The Nun’s Story, Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Wait Until Dark.) She also received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, posthumously in 1993. Hersholt had presented the Oscar to Hepburn in 1954.
Audrey Kathleen Hepburn-Ruston was born in Brussels, Belgium, daughter of John Victor Hepburn-Ruston, an English banker, and Ella van Heemstra, a Dutch baroness. In 1963, it was Audrey Hepburn who sang “Happy Birthday” to President Kennedy. Marilyn Monroe sang to him the year before.
Today, May 4, is an excellent day to listen to Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young’s “Ohio.”
It’s been 39 years.
Mine That Bird wins the Derby inspiring this question: has anything else good ever come out of New Mexico?
Take it away, Ken!
And take it away Ken’s readers; comment here or there!
Reid, who just turned three in late March, competed in his first run today. He ran a quarter-mile and finished without slowing to a walk. His five-year-old brother Aidan competed and finished as well. Their mom reports:
“Aidan had never [not walked part of the way] before, so he was super proud of himself. He also broke out his race color (royal blue) for the first time. Reid was panting and breathing and made it across that finish line, to lots of cheers. He is greatly enamored of his very first medal.”
Mack won the mile run for his age group. Yesterday he won a 5K for his age group. Both the mile and the 5K were his best times ever.
None of the three boys know it, but they are headed to DisneyWorld later today. No, not because of their running. It’s just time. They haven’t been since September (and Reid a lot longer than that). I think their parents just like DisneyWorld.
Football rained out today. Photos of our very own Quarterback Princess in action have to wait.
“Even students at Hollister’s San Benito High School wonder if they are violating Abercrombie & Fitch’s trademark by wearing shirts emblazed with the school nickname, the Hollister Haybalers.”
Good article from the Los Angeles Times on corporate overreach.
Welcome to the original Hollister, Calif., incorporated in 1872, birthplace of American biker culture and inspiration for the 1953 film “The Wild One,” starring Marlon Brando.
It’s nothing like the mythical Hollister known to teenagers — an idyllic Southern California beach town that is portrayed in more than 500 clothing stores across the country, Canada and the United Kingdom.
That’s a myth created and cultivated by Abercrombie & Fitch, the Ohio clothing giant that started the hugely popular Hollister Co. surf-wear line in 2000.
The 100 Million Views Club: The Most Watched Viral Videos of All-Time? 18 online videos that have had 100 million or more views. Most are music videos or film trailers, but still an interesting list.
TRUECAR – The Authority on New Car Pricing uses sales data to tell you what people are actually paying for new cars (2008 and 2009 models).
Maybe we’ll have to start calling it the New Mexico Derby.
I sure wish the left-bloggers would quit writing about all the moronic things the right-wing bloggers, radio talk show hosts, TV commentators and politicians are saying. I avoid that stuff for a reason and if I want to read whacko shit, I’ll go to the source. Repeating it, even to ridicule, just keeps the nonsense in circulation.
With one exception. Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Asylum). Everything she says is priceless.
To: The Internet
Cc: Hollywood
From: A. O. Scott
People really like movies. In theaters. On TV. On DVD. Whatever. We don’t mind paying for them, but we like to see them without too much trouble or inconvenience or confusion. It would be nice to be able to see some on our iPods or our computers. It might even be the best way for specialized, uncommercial movies to reach us. Can you come up with a business model to make this possible, while also ensuring that the artists and producers can make a living? When you figure something out, kindly forward it to the music, newspaper and publishing industries. Thanks!
Scott and Manohla Dargis send out “urgent, eyes-only communiqués to Hollywood.” Good stuff for any film buff.