August 10, 2009 archive

Late Night Karaoke

Open Thread

Banks make record $38 billion in overdraft fees


At BofA, a customer overdrawn by as little as $6 could trigger a $35 penalty. If the customer does not realise they have a negative balance and continue spending, they could incur that fee as many as 10 times in a single day, for a total of $350. Failing to repay the overdraft within a few days results in an additional $35 penalty.

How do ya like them apples?

Why anyone still keeps their money in these banks is beyond me.  Oh wait.  If you have a low credit score, you can’t open a new account anywhere else.  So if you’ve had the dominos start to fall, thanks to these banksters like those who run BofA and others, you are stuck with them and their goddamn thievery.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/43d1…


Data from Moebs Services, a research company, show that the crisis has prompted many banks to lift charges on overdrafts and credit cards in order to boost profits.

The median bank overdraft fee has this year rose from $25 to $26, according to Moebs, the first time it has gone up in a recession for more than 40 years.

“Banks are returning to a fee-driven model and overdraft fees are the mother lode,” said Mike Moebs, the company’s founder.

Hit ’em when they’re down.  That’s a great business plan.  It’s the mother-lode, baby!  Woo Hoo!  


The highest overdraft fees were charged by the largest banks, said Mr Moebs. At banks with assets greater than $50bn – a group including Citigroup, Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo – the median overdraft fee is set at $33.

So those “too big to fail” continue to do whatever the fuck they want, because, hell, these banks can’t even fail if they wanted to.   They tried to fail!   Congress wouldn’t let them!   So why not do whatever the hell pops into your head to rip people off, who’s going to stop you?

In the meantime, three more little banks, I guess those who were “small enough to fail” did in fact fail on Friday.

That brings the total for the year to 72.   Yup, 72 banks small enough to fail, while the Big Boys just do whatever the hell they want.  

In other news, Obama has lost Dailykos, which is the equivalent of George Bush losing the Freepers.   Now, we have “Everybody Hates Barry” playing out in Washington.  The right hates him, and his most devoted followers are completely disillusioned and crestfallen with him, talking about being “in tears” over his actions.  They like to cry.   Crying and cats.  I don’t get it.  

http://www.dailykos.com/storyo…

What is he doing?  He’s doing exactly what he’s supposed to be doing, being an errand boy for the corporate elite that put him in power.  That’s what he’s doing.   He’s there to let Goldman bail out Goldman.  

Oh, and let’s not forget that a British General has just come out and said that the “mission” in Afghanistan is going to take a good 40 years to “complete”.     He’s probably being optimistic.

Overnight Caption Contest

The Gay/Lesbian Community and Obama

After being elected, in part, on his promises to repeal DADT and DOMA, President Obama is now doubling-down on using the GLBT community for his own ends:

by John Aravosis (DC) on 8/09/2009 12:41:00 PM

I don’t believe it for a minute, and I suspect more than a few people in Obamaland are going to freak when they hear about this. But that’s what Joe Solmonese, the head of the Human Rights Campaign, seems to be claiming in a new interview. That Obama has a secret plan to lift the ban on gays and lesbians serving in the military, and that the ban is going to be lifted next spring.

   They [the Obama administration] see the overturning of don’t ask, don’t tell along that spectrum as something that will likely happen next spring.

Sure. Right before the congressional elections. Lets all mark our calendars now.

To his credit, John Aravosis doesn’t believe it, and he shouldn’t…

Pique the Geek 20090809. The Things we Eat: Trans Fats

There is a lot of attention regarding the topic of trans fats, but hardly anyone outside of chemists and biochemists really understands what a trans fat actually is.  This evening we will discuss what they are, whence they come, and some health aspects of them.

This is a controversial subject (not as controversial as high fructose corn sweetener), in that the medical community is not completely in unison with the interpretation of the data from studies.  However, the case is more clear than with high fructose corn sweetener.

How Many Times?

Robin Wells . . .

Are we having fun yet?  Birthers, Limbaugh’s diatribe equating Obama to Hitler, fistfights at town halls, an enormous increase in death threats against the president.  And now our diva moment, with Sarah Palin–in full victimhood throttle–charging on Friday that an “Obama death panel” could deny health care and pass a death sentence on her Down syndrome child.

In an unbroken line from Goldwater to Limbaugh and Palin, the Republican Party has committed itself to scorched-earth tactics that have shredded the economic, political, and moral fabric of this country.

New millennium.  Same RePug tactics.    

blueintheface . . .

Rahm Emanuel, the man who dismissed the 50-state strategy that led to the political revolution that the 1994 Republicans could only dream about, the Democratic leader who made it his priority to nurse a petty grudge against the man who pioneered the grassroots internet campaign instrumental in Democrats gaining control of the House, Senate and Presidency, recently held a meeting to slam Democratic activists for pressuring the legislators who are holding up healthcare reform, calling their ads “fucking stupid”.

New millennium.  Same Democratic tactics.

The Health Insurers Have Already Won . . .

The insurance industry has succeeded in redefining the terms of the reform debate to such a degree that no matter what specifics emerge in the voluminous bill Congress may send to President Obama this fall, the insurance industry will emerge more profitable.

New millennium.  Same corporate fascism.

Pique the Geek 20090809. The Things we Eat: Trans Fats

There is a lot of attention regarding the topic of trans fats, but hardly anyone outside of chemists and biochemists really understands what a trans fat actually is.  This evening we will discuss what they are, whence they come, and some health aspects of them.

This is a controversial subject (not as controversial as high fructose corn sweetener), in that the medical community is not completely in unison with the interpretation of the data from studies.  However, the case is more clear than with high fructose corn sweetener.

Considered Forthwith: Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee

Welcome to the 19th installment of “Considered Forthwith.”

This weekly series looks at the various committees in the House and the Senate. Committees are the workshops of our democracy. This is where bills are considered, revised, and occasionally advance for consideration by the House and Senate. Most committees also have the authority to exercise oversight of related executive branch agencies.

Even though Congress is out of session and the members are back home getting shouted down and physically assaulted by lobbyist-funded mobs of teabaggers, there are still a few things going on in the committees. This week, I will look at the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, which has two field meetings (in Alaska and Colorado) scheduled this month.  

New Republican Health Care Policy Released

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