10/11   First sunspot since January shows up:
        http://wattsupwiththat.com/2008/10/11/significant-cycle-24-sunspot-group-emerges
        \_ What, and the dude didn't find some way to spin that into an
           anti-global warming screed?  He is slipping!

10/11   Hilarious Acorn slimey lawyer.  What a dirtbag.
        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goTICiFQoeE
        \_ Josh Marshall has the clearest explanation for all this, but
           I'm sure it won't penetrate your tinfoil hat:
           http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/223436.php
           \_ What it comes down to is the whole Acorn story is another
              dangerous mistruth being spread by the McCain campaign.
              McCain has proven over and over again he has no problem with
              telling massive lies if he thinks it will help him.
              \_ The gist is that Acorn pays unemployed and sometimes
                 even homeless people to collect signatures.  This is
                 a dubious tactic, because the collectors have a huge
                 incentive to produce fake registration documents
                 in return for cold cash.  This is is why the Democratic
                 party doesn't associate with Acorn.  However, it's
                 not a sign of a nefarious plot of any kind, and in fact
                 there has never been a documented instance of anyone
                 trying to *use* these fake registrations.  If you
                 register as a member of the Dallas Cowboys or
                 Mickey Mouse, you're not going to be able to vote.
                 Vote fraud occurs only if you *try* to make an
                 illegal *vote*.  Acorn in fact reported a lot of the
                 fake registrations *themselves*.  The fact is that
                 the right is trying to make a huge deal out of this
                 because they know they're going to lose and they
                 want to deligitamize the results.  A coordinated vote
                 fraud effort of the sort suggested by the right is
                 a tinfoil hat fantasy that would be next to impossible
                 to pull off, and years of investigations by Bush
                 justice department officials have never turned up
                 anything.
        \_ We need to find a way to turn right wing nutjob paniced desperation
           into energy.  It could get us off foreign oil in days.  How do you
           fall for this premptive THEY STOLE THE ELECTION bullshit?  Are you
           that stupid?  Here's a hint.  Every voter registration drive
           gets bullshit registrations.  That's why they are looked over
           by the state.  Acron does flag some as pretty obvious fakes but
           STILL HAVE TO SUBMIT THEM.  You are not allowed to collect
           voter registrations and then throw some of them out.  Otherwise
           you would have sleazy registration drives where people who
           "register" people and then decide "hey all these registrations
           for the party I don't like, I think they are 'invalid'".  (Although
           that's more of a Republican tactic, consdidering the Republican
           party seems to think legal disenfrancisment of legitimate minorty
           voters an acceptable tactic.)
           \_ What made me laugh about this guy is how he'd complain about
              anyone interrupting, but constantly interrupted Fund.  And
              whenever he was factually called on issues (by the Dem official
              in NV for instance) he's just spin and divert.  Slimey lawyer.
              Acorn is in trouble, seeing as it's being investigated in 12
              states, and this guy isn't helping. -op
              \_ Investigated by an administration that has turned the
                 justice department into a political tool.  Investigated
                 by an adminstration the illegally fired federal prosecutors
                 who told them they weren't going to proscecute bogus voter
                 fraud cases.  Investigated by an adminstration whose party
                 has tried time and time to illegally disenfrancise minority
                 voters purely because they tend to vote for the other party.
                 People who worry about a vast brown person voter fraud
                 army are one step below Ron Paul supporters.  Then again,
                 you do watch Fox and Friends and think it is legit news.
                   \_ Actually, no I don't.  But nice conspiracy theory there,
                      speaking of tinfoil hats. -op
                      \_ Then why did you post a Fox and Friends clip as if
                         was legit?
                         \_ Uh, the conversation took place, no?
                          \_ When did you stop beating your wife?

10/11   What will GOOG report for earnings next week? Good news?
        \_ They will report revenue growth and massive earnings.  GOOG is
           notoriously and intentionally tight-lipped about guidance, which
           means the analyst estimates are all over the place, so it's hard
           to say what people would take as good news.  A lot more may hinge
           on the content of the conference call than on the actual numbers;
           everyone knows they're going to report huge earnings.  Current
           analyst estimates are between 3.7B and 4.16B quarterly revs,
           between 4.46 and 5.39/share earnings.  Personally I think they'll
           have higher revs with in-line earnings: call it $4.5B revs, $5/share
           earnings as a guess.  I hazard no guess as to what the stock will
           do with that information.  -tom

10/11   "Firms Try to Shore Up Incentive Pay"
        http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122358951896420723.html?mod=yhoofront
        Good news for us.

10/11   McCain letter demanded action on Fannie/Freddie
        20 Republican senators signed this letter.  McCain's reformed passed
        out of committee but didn't get a majority on the floor.
        (Image of the letter included.)
        http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=28973
        \_ The GOP controlled both houses on Congress, the White House and
           the Supreme Court and still couldn't get any regulation passed
           reigning in Fannie Mae, why is that?
           reining in Fannie Mae, why is that?
        \_ It is time for Human events to get real. Side with real
           conservatives, and quit trying to fool them. This letter is nice,
           but irrelevant in a campaign that ignores facts anyway. We have two
           horrible pro-big government candidates and no CYA letter written 2
           years ago is going to make John Mccain a viable Republican candidate.
           Those who voted for Mccain in the primaries are to blame. You did
           this to us, we had viable candidates who might have resuscitated
           this dying party. Stop the defeated sputtering, we lost and we
           deserve it. Hopefully the loss will be the kick in the pants
           conservatives and Republicans need.
           \_ I really hope that this guy speaks for a majority of Conservatives

10/11   Palin resoundingly booed at hockey game
        http://slapshot.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/11/a-misplaced-hockey-mom-moment
        \_ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXNetpeu_mk
        \_ 80% of the residents in Valencia thought Palin won the debate.
           \_ Valencia Spain?