Remember - The Peon Pulpit Called It First

Remember back in 2008 when I made my first stock market prediction and was somewhat amazed that it failed to even come close to being accurate? At the time I suggested that perhaps the Fed was covertly purchasing stocks to prop up the market artificially:

It does seem like every time the market makes some huge drop (like 11/13/2008's -554.11 drop) it makes a remarkable close up the next day (11/14/2008's 324.88

Could it be bargain hunters? Or could it be the Treasury/FED monster propping up the dead?

Either way, you heard it here first.

Well it appears that now I'm not alone in my suspicions:

Newsday Learns An Important Lesson

As pointed out here on the Pulpit, charging people for news is one sure way to get people to stop reading your news. Three months into their own 'pay to read' experiment, Newsday.com has a total of (35) paid subscribers. Yes...THIRTY-FIVE. They paid $4 million to upgrade the site to accept payments, and have made $9,000. Heh. Good riddance. That's the price you pay for not reading the Pulpit Newsday.

Next up: The New York Times.... I'm looking forward to that crash and burn.

Brown Win In Massachusetts Throws A Lifeline To Democrats

I suspect that the Scott Brown win in the race for Massachusetts senator will throw Democrats a lifeline. Unlike statements made earlier in the week that the Senate may delay seating Brown until they can pass a health care reform bill, I think Democrats will move to swiftly seat Brown.

The reason is simple: Democrats running for re-election in 2010 want out of the bill as fast as possible. They might push a watered down bill, which, like Keith Olbermann suggested, will only "mandate child-proof medicine bottles". I doubt they will even do that, as it will continue to keep the health care issue (which is now a Democratic albatross) in people's minds.

I also predict that the "tea bagger" jokes that have been repeated countless times by Democrats on television will suddenly fall out of favor. I bet making fun of the tea party movement Isn't going to be as popular with elected Democrats as it once was. This will leave it up to democratic mouthpieces (like Olbermann) to keep it alive. Eventually, even he'll be asked to tone it down, for fear that it will only serve to stoke voter anger against Democrats.

Mainstream Media HALL OF DOOM!

Nothing gets people interested in watching TV or reading newspapers & magazines quite the way that impending doom does. Just like clockwork, whenever the mainstream media runs out of legitimate stories (or when the current legit story get stale like, say, an ongoing debacle of a war in Iraq) they will trot out the latest "_This_ will scare the sh*t out of You!!" Story.

So today I inaugurate my new Mainstream Media Hall of Doom (MMHOD). This will be an ongoing collection of current and past "this is really going to ruin your life" themes the media harped on and then promptly forgot as the next juicy story overtook it. You may have forgotten about these yourself, so I will archive them here.

Mainstream Media Hall of Doom (MMHOD)

• Swine Flu Outbreak (2009) Attack of the Sick Pigs!
• Cell Phones and Cancer (2004- current) Boy, *that* was an expensive call
  
• Water Shortage (2003 - Current - Does this mean Water World won't happen??)
• Global Fish Shortage (Current 2008 - Suddenly, food=fear)
• Worldwide Food Shortage (Rice Famine? 2008 "At the end of the day, you will pay the price for being a fussy eater.")
• Colony Collapse disorder (2007 So Long, And Thanks For all The Pollen!!)
  
• Bird Flu (2006-2007)
• Rogue Asteroid Strike (2004)
• SARS (2003)
  
• Terrorism (current)
  
• Global Warming (current)
• Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (1990s -2000's Angry cows on the warpath)
  
• Y2K Glitch (1999)
• Deformed Frogs (1995)
• West Nile Virus (2002-2005 Invasion of the Infected Vampires)
• Satanic Day Care (1980-1990)
• Hole In The Ozone Layer (1985)
• Acid Rain (Late 1980's)
• Global Cooling (1975)
• Population Explosion (late 1960's)
• Commies Are Going To Get Us! (1950s-1980s)
  
• Nuclear Annihilation (1950-1980)

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I have color coded these in the following way:

Green - While it might have been real to some extent, if you never fretted about it, you'd be no worse off
Orange - Maybe you should (or should have) worried a little about this one.
Red - OMG, the Media was right! We're all DOOMED!
Black - An ongoing event (too early to tell...so you'd better worry yourself into an ulcer just to be on the safe side).

Of course, an item's color code will change if the situation warrants.

Originally Posted: 4/24/2008
Last updated: 11/15/2009
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The Peon Pulpit's Best Shows On Television (2009)

TV seems to be in a holding pattern these days.....

1. Best Reality Series -
2. Best Educational Series - How It's Made (Science Channel/Discovery Channel/Ztele)
3. Best Drama Series - Dexter (Showtime) New entry!
4. Best Documentary Series - Frontline (PBS)
   
5. Best Comedy Series - The Office (NBC)
6. Best News Show -
   
7. Best Political Show - The McLachlan group (TMG)

Updated 11/15/2009

Pfizer Bulldozes Woman's Home...Then Walks Away

Basically. After winning a case that went to the Supreme Court, New London, CT made a woman move out of her house so they could give her land to Pfizer. They took it promising all sorts of jobs and econmic benefits. The city in turn gave Pfizer all sorts of tax breaks. Now it looks like Pfizer just gave the town the middle finger. Nice.

Serves them right. This should be a warning to all other states to limit eminent domain.

Sounds That Remind Me Of Other Songs...

This is a collection of songs that to me, sound like other songs. Maybe not to the point of being completely ripped off, but definitely share similar sonic elements:

• Taylor Swift - "You Belong To Me" (2009) sounds like "First Time" by Lifehouse (chorus) (2007)
• Maroon 5 - "She Will Be Loved" (2004) sounds like Tears For Fears "Break It Down Again" (1993) ["I don't mind spending every day".... = "It's in the way you're always hiding from the light"]
  

American's Just Don't Know How To Protest

Americans are really bad at protesting...below is an amazing video on YouTube from an Estonian Protest in Tallinn.



I doubt people could get it together and protest like this in the US.