Blogtown, PDX

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

News Good Morning, News!!

Posted by Matt Davis on Tue, Jan 8 at 8:00 AM

1.VOTE OBAMA!!! If you live in New Hampshire, I mean. And especially if you’re young.

MR.PRESIDENT: VOTEY VOTEY VOTEY…

2.VOTE OBAMA!!! “Mrs. Clinton has felt frustrated and at times rejected as she has watched the rise of Senator Barack Obama, her main rival here and the victor in Iowa, advisers say.” That’s what happens when you treat your presidential campaign like you’re the heir to some kind of throne, lady. Also, implying Obama is “no Martin Luther King” sounds like sour grapes. Watching king and queen Clinton on the stump this week has had the traincrash inevitability of a Britney Spears Youtube—relish it.

3.$3 QUADRILLION!!! That’s how much Hurricane Katrina cost the insurance companies. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the word “quadrillion” in print before.

4.MINI ME!!! Mini Bhutto, I mean. He has not been handed the premiership of the Pakistan People’s Party “like some piece of family furniture,” he tells reporters in London. Thereby offending furniture-inheritors everywhere.

5.STARBUCKED!!! You know you’re in a recession when the coffee giant fires its CEO and announces it’s going to close a few million stores. Two questions of equal import: How many smugwit baristas will be out of a job?! Where will I get my decaf before City Hall meetings?

6.BIG TELLY!!! Porn continues to push the boundaries of science, with the unveiling of 6ft tall, 3.5m wide, $50,000 TV in Las Vegas. To be clear, this is in no way frivolous, decadent, or Miltonian. It’s the future, and I suggest you get used to it. Especially if you happen to live in New Orleans.

Good day.

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Comments

Yeah that 3 quadrillion figure is a claim not a cost. The market capitalization of Exxon-Mobil is 500 billion. The GDP of the US is 13 trillion and the market capitalization of every company in the world is only 50 trillion, and all land and US government capital probably isn't worth much more than that.

And if that didn't put it into perspective how ridiculous this figure is, you could buy a column of Saudia Arabia's finest oil (@$100/barrel) that begins by covering the entire state of Oregon and ends at the Moon -- 294 times.

fun times with math!

show your work! $3 quadrillion / 255,026 sq. km [area of OR] * 400,000 km [distance of Earth to Moon] * $100/barrel of oil = ~294 Oregon-Moon columns of oil

Posted by ragold | January 8, 2008 9:39 AM

That is AMAZING, ragold. Thanks.

Posted by Matt Davis | January 8, 2008 11:51 AM

The 3QUAD$ number are the claims filed against the Army Corps of Engineers. The Federal Government is very difficult to sue successfully. It is also similar to when the City is sued for police malfeasance for 4 million and the case is settled for 10 thousand. So few if any of those claims will be sustained or paid. A weird quirk of our macho legal system.

The filed/settled insurance claims is more in the $40B range: http://www.iii.org/media/updates/press.775235/

Nature is bigger than us and it's time to accept some personal responsibility for where we live - including in little Portland, living on the fault line of a mag 9 due anytime http://www.oregongeology.com/sub/earthquakes/EqEpicentermap.htm

The shameful performance of Bush, FEMA etc. is inexcusable. Sad loss of life and spirit in Nola. But not sure the legal system can deal.

Posted by portlandobserver | January 8, 2008 12:42 PM

Macho legal system is right. Now, this earthquake: Fucking incredible, eh. I mean, when it happens, Jesus. I hope I'm not in bed.

Posted by Matt Davis | January 8, 2008 1:52 PM

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