Fireworks!

Another rooftop in front of us.

I hear there's a study going around that kids who are brought to fireworks displays by their parents are more likely to vote and/or vote Republican. No idea if it's true. We did however enjoy the national fireworks from my rooftop tonight. Not nearly as nice as going down to the mall, but it is a bit of a zoo getting out of there half a million people.

Friends of a neighbor having fun violating the fire code.

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Rare earth deposits discovered across Pacific Ocean

Bad news for the Pacific Ocean. Since mining companies have more than enough problems mining on land, this is going to be a disaster since it's in a more difficult environment and likely to be far from media attention.

"The deposits have a heavy concentration of rare earths. Just one square kilometer (0.4 square mile) of deposits will be able to provide one-fifth of the current global annual consumption," said Yasuhiro Kato, an associate professor of earth science at the University of Tokyo.

The discovery was made by a team led by Kato and including researchers from the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology.

They found the minerals in sea mud extracted from depths of 3,500 to 6,000 meters (11,500-20,000 ft) below the ocean surface at 78 locations. One-third of the sites yielded rich contents of rare earths and the metal yttrium, Kato said in a telephone interview.

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Today we celebrate our independence day

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Sit down, John!

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ExxonMobil claims "no damage" from oil spill - locals say otherwise

Who are you really going to believe? The industry that repeatedly lies and spills oil or the local governor, the EPA who has spotted oil 40 miles down river and the locals who are "gagging" from the smell?

Exxon Mobil brought in more cleanup workers to mop up crude at three sites along the flooded river that were coated with thick globs of crude. Yet there was no clear word on how far the damage extended along a scenic river famous for its fishing and vital to farmers who depend on its water for their crops.

The uncertainty frustrated riverfront property owners such as Linda Corbin, who worried that severe damage would be revealed as the flooding Yellowstone recedes in coming weeks. The stench of spilled crude was obvious in Corbin's backyard — a reminder of the potential problems lurking beneath the surface of the nearby river.

"The smell has been enough to gag a maggot," said Corbin, 64. "I just hope it doesn't come too far because I'm on a well, and I won't appreciate having to shower in Exxon oil."

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Financial services jobs fully recovered from crisis

Ahhh, isn't that cute? The industry that caused the global recession has bounced back. Pay is better than ever and now the jobs are there too. And heck, the politicians who ushered in the policies are mostly around or at least considered respectable elders who still command massive consulting fees. No wonder they want to roll back even minor changes to regulations. They did as they pleased and got away with it, unscathed.

Volumes of business across the UK financial services sector slowed in the three months to June but jobs jumped, a survey published by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) revealed on Monday.

But recruitment in the sector rose unexpectedly in the quarter, to its highest level since before the financial crisis began in September 2007, the PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC)/CBI report added.

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S&P; rules that Greek bailout means default

The most recent bailout was panned from the start and it's not improving. What a waste.

S&P; warned that it would cut Greece's credit rating to D, the lowest possible, if the debt rollover plan proposed by France's banking sector is implemented. The decision, which echoes the views of other rating agencies in recent days, casts a cloud over the eurozone as policymakers struggle to devise a second bailout for Greece.

The euro fell against the dollar, losing around half a cent to $1.4513, after S&P; released its analysis.

Under the Fédération Bancaire Française (FBF) plan, banks would invest some €30bn of maturing Greek debt in new bonds issued by Athens, which would not mature for up to 30 years. These securities would have an interest rate linked to Greece's GDP, and their sale would be restricted. The proposal won support last week from Germany, which is keen for private creditors to share the cost of a new rescue package worth an estimated €110bn (£100bn).

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