Mammoth Blog

Government Preparing Plan to Seize Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, Officials Say

Senior officials from the Bush administration and the Federal
Reserve informed top executives of Fannie Mae and Freddie
Mac, the mortgage-finance giants, that the government is
preparing a plan to seize the two companies and place them in
a conservatorship, officials and company executives briefed
on the discussions said.

USA TODAY

Inspired by Neil Young and Radiohead, Michael Moore will release his new film online and for free. The film, "Slacker Uprising," follows Moore's 62-city tour during the 2004 election to rally young voters.

It will be available for three weeks as a free download to North American residents, beginning Sept. 23. An official announcement of the film is planned for Friday.

Moore said he considered releasing "Slacker Uprising" theatrically as "Michael Moore's big election year movie" as he did with 2004's "Fahrenheit 9/11," which was highly critical of President Bush.

Instead, Moore opted for a symbol of gratitude to his fans as he approaches the 20th anniversary of his first film, 1989's "Roger & Me."

"I thought it'd be a nice way to celebrate my 20th year of doing this," Moore said. "And also help get out the vote for November. I've been thinking about what I want to do to help with the election this year."

The 97-minute long "Slacker Uprising" will be the first major film to be released in such a way. Last December, "Jackass 2.5" was streamed online and for free, but that was only a collection of left over material from "Jackass 2." Companies like ClickStar, which Morgan Freeman co-founded, have made films still in theaters - such as 2006's "10 Items or Less" - digitally available for purchase or rental.

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The Flint Journal has 50 passes (two tickets per pass) to give away to a special advance screening of the soon-to-be-released comedy "Ghost Town" starring Ricky Gervais and Greg Kinnear.

The comedy "Ghost Town" is coming to theaters nationwide Sept. 19, but you can see a special screening for free by reading this article and following the directions.

You may have not heard of this film so if not it's a comedy about Bertram Pincus (Ricky Gervais) who dies for seven minutes and returns to life with the ability to see ghosts. Plus, all the ghosts want something from him, particularly Frank Herlihy (Greg Kinnear), who pesters him into breaking up the impending marriage of his widow Gwen (Tea Leoni).

The film is being released nationwide Sept. 19, but you can see a special screening of it 7:30 p.m. Sept. 16 at Cinema Hollywood in Birch Run, Michigan, 122280 Dixie Hwy.

This is three days before the nationwide release of the film.

But we only have 50 passes. Here's how you can get the tickets:

Step 1: Submit the name of your favorite comedy film in the comments area below.

Step 2: After posting the name of your favorite comedy, e-mail a copy of your post along with your contact information, including your name, phone number, mailing address and e-mail address information to Matt Bach at The Flint Journal.

Step 3: Beginning today (Sept. 5, 2008) at 10 a.m., the first 50 people following steps one and two will get two free tickets to the screening, retail value about $15.
Flint Journal extras

Please know, however, that just because you get a pass to the screening does not guarantee you the two seats. These screenings are always overbooked to ensure capacity and seating is on a first-come, first-serve basis. So if you get a pass, get there early.

That's it. That's all you have to do. So submit your posts now and once we've reached 50 posts we'll put a note at the top of this story saying all the passes are gone.

Those getting the passes will be able to pick them up at the center court information booth at the Genesee Valley Center on Sept. 10 through Sept. 15. source>>>

The world will mark the first anniversary of the death of Luciano Pavarotti with a series of concerts, an exhibit and other events, organizers and his family announced Friday.

Among the tributes planned for the celebrated tenor, who died Sept. 6, 2007, are a concert at New York's Metropolitan Opera House on Sept. 18, and an exhibit on his life, with photographs, films and costumes collected by friends and colleagues, that opens in Rome on Oct. 17.

Another concert in Petra, Jordan, is scheduled for Oct. 12, organizers said, while conductor Leone Magiera, who worked with Pavarotti for years, is reportedly planning a tribute concert in Paris on Jan. 27.

The events were announced at a meeting at the culture ministry in Rome that included Pavarotti's widow, Nicoletta Mantovani, and the tenor's longtime friend, Italian film and opera director Franco Zeffirelli.

"Luciano had a great love for life, joy and cheerfulness that we all miss," Mantovani said. "He was able to thrill everyone in the world."

Zeffirelli called the tenor "a prodigy" and said: "He was the highest example of professionalism I've ever seen."

Pavarotti died at age 71 after a yearlong battle with cancer. He had married Mantovani in 2003 and they had a daughter.

He also had three daughters from a previous marriage.

Pavarotti's charismatic persona, ebullient showmanship, and powerful voice made him the most beloved and celebrated tenor since the great Caruso, and one of the few opera singers to win crossover fame as a popular superstar.

He appeared in television commercials and sang in hugely lucrative mega-concerts outdoors and in stadiums around the world, also mingling with pop stars in his series of charity concerts, "Pavarotti & Friends."

In New York, director James Levine, who worked with Pavarotti in 139 performances at the Metropolitan Opera House, will conduct a performance of Verdi's "Requiem Mass" on Sept. 18, the opera house said in a statement Friday.

Soloists Barbare Frittoli, soprano; Olga Borodina, mezzo-soprano; Marcello Giordani, tenor; and James Morris, bass, will take part in the free performance.

"Luciano's voice was so extraordinarily beautiful and his delivery so natural and direct, that his singing spoke right to the hearts of listeners," Levine said. "I will never forget the sheer magic of that voice, but I will also remember the warm, generous, and exuberant spirit of the man."

Pavarotti made his Met debut in 1968 source>>>

Individual ticket sales start today for all of the shows in the Mattie Kelly Fine and Performing Arts Center's 12th season of 2008-09 Broadway touring productions.

The early-ticket option was introduced last season and will continue this year. Individual tickets for any of the season's national touring Broadway, Artist or Family shows may be purchased through the center's online ticketing system starting at 9 a.m. today and by phone or in-person from the box office starting at 9 a.m. Sept. 8.

The Mattie Kelly Arts Center has instituted a new Web address, mattiekellyartscenter.org. The previous Web address for the center, owc.edu/arts, still works but will be phased out.

The Mattie Kelly Arts Center's box office phone and in-person hours are 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call 729-6000 or toll free 1-888-838-ARTS (2787). The online box office is open 24 hours a day.

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The moderate evangelical vote is slipping away from Barack Obama.

All year, Sen. Obama has worked hard to win evangelical voters. They've run campaign ads, distributed literature about being a "committed Christian," and offered numerous outreach events at the Democratic convention. At stake are about six million voters - moderate evangelicals who voted for George W. Bush last time but were intrigued by Sen. Obama.

"Because of the emotional/social hot-buttons of the traditional evangelical community, things just got very difficult for Sen. Obama," said Joel Hunter, the Republican pastor who gave the benediction at the Democratic convention. "I am not sure of the shelf-life of ecstasy."

Earlier in the week, Mark DeMoss, a supporter or John McCain who had earlier predicted Sen. Obama could get as much as 40% of the evangelical vote, revised his estimates downward. Was it "game over?" I asked. "Yes, I think so," he said.

Several things have battered Sen. Obama's standing with moderate evangelicals:

1) His poor performance at the Saddleback candidates forum, especially (or perhaps entirely) his comment about it being "above my pay grade" to know when life begins.

2) The selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, an appealing antiabortion figure and the perceived attacks on her by the media, which led evangelicals to think the "elites" were against them. This sentiment has been skillfully stoked by the Republicans.

3) The Democrats' decision to run radio ads championing Sen. Obama's abortion-rights position without discussing his abortion-reduction agenda. "Unless the Obama campaign will stop emphasizing abortion rights and strongly address the major common cause issues with a spirited vision and practical details, the Republicans can continue to scoop up a ton of votes," says Hunter.

4) The Obama campaign's failure to combat effectively the charge that he opposed giving protection to infants who survive abortions. It's now become a standard part of the Republican litany that Sen. Obama supports not only abortion but also infanticide.

5) Quiet concern among evangelical leaders of faith-based groups that Sen. Obama's faith-based initiative would leave most faith-based groups in the cold because he wouldn't allow them to hire only from their particular faith.

It's certainly possible the Obama campaign could turn the situation around. In a sign that Democrats realize just how much damage has been done, the liberal religious group Matthew 25 released a statement accusing Gov. Palin of acting in an un-Christian manner. "In questioning not only Barack Obama's policies but also his motivations, and mocking his career, Palin went far beyond what could be considered acceptable disagreement and into what looked like open hatred for her political opponents," the group stated Thursday. "The name of Christ should never be associated with hate or contempt for one's fellow human being, but last night, in Sarah Palin, we believe it was."

But counter-attacking won't be sufficient. Sen. Obama will need to address the core anxieties that have arisen, some because of misleading attacks and others because of his own decisions. source>>>

This week, Overstock.com is having a sale on several categories for the home, including 10% off lighting, 10% off Nursery Décor, Free Shipping on Window Treatments, and 5% off all Living Room Tables. Our Weekender is $60 off purchases of $600 or more.

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Economy Shed 84,000 Jobs in August; Unemployment Rate Jumped to 6.1%

The government said Friday that the American economy lost
84,000 private nonfarm jobs in August, the eighth straight
month of job losses. The unemployment rate jumped to 6.1
percent in August, the highest in nearly five years. Both
figures were worse than economists had forecast.

Read More:
USA Today

Meg Whitman, former President and CEO of online auction company eBay (EBAY), spoke at the Republican National Convention Wednesday, urging support for presidential hopeful John McCain. Focusing on business interests in the election, she highlighted the support that the Arizona senator has for small business, noting his promise to cut business taxes if elected.

"I am a Republican because our party understands that America's success - the success of its people - comes not from the size of its government...but from the nobility and strength of its ideals," Whitman said at the event being held in St. Paul, Minnesota.

"We are proudly the party of Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, and Ronald Reagan and tonight we are proudly the party of John McCain," she added.

Whitman focused on McCain's experience, stating that "he lives by a code of honor that is unmatched by anyone in politics." She added, "John is more prepared to leave than any person in America."

Although she noted that "our economy is struggling and Americans are hurting," Whitman tried to paint McCain as a "different breed" from the current politicians. She also spoke about change - stating that McCain and his running mate, Alaska governor Sarah Palin, are "the real agents of change in this campaign."

Whitman focused on the role of the individual in America, a cornerstone of the Republican party's conservative beliefs.

"America is all about the inspired individual - men and women who are free to pursue dreams and ambition," she said. "John McCain doesn't want to tax success and achievement...he wants to encourage it."

Concluding her remarks, Whitman said that "when the American people cast their vote in November they will do what they have always done...they will put country first. They will choose John McCain as the President of the United States source>>>

John McCain's choice of Sarah Palin, governor of Alaska, as his running mate finally gave Republicans a reason to vote for him -- a reason, that is, other than B. Hussein Obama.

The media are hopping mad about McCain's vice presidential selection, but they're really furious over at MSNBC. After drawing "Keith (plus) Obama" hearts on their denim notebooks, Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews stayed up all night last Thursday, writing jokes about Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, the presumed vice presidential pick. Now they can't use any of them.o the media are taking it out on our brave Sarah and her 17-year-old daughter.

They claimed Palin was chosen only because she's a woman. In fact, Palin was chosen because she's pro-life, pro-gun, pro-drilling and pro-tax cuts. She's fought both Republicans and Democrats on public corruption and does not have hair plugs like some other vice presidential candidate I could mention. In other words, she's a "Republican." source>>>

Children should eat off proper china plates and use metal cutlery to encourage them to have healthy school dinners, the Government has said.

They should also be allowed to book tables for lunch online to avoid queues and choose from a range of new recipes - ensuring canteens do not resemble prison food halls.

Ed Balls, the children's secretary, encouraged headteachers to treat pupils like paying customers in restaurants to improve the image of school food.

It follows a sharp decline in the number of pupils eating in school canteens.

Since 2006, schools have been forced to cut out high-fat and sugary food to cut childhood obesity.

Under guidelines, junk food was banned from vending machines and tuck shops and salt must be removed from canteen tables.

Schools are forced to serve at least two portions of fruit and vegetables to each child every day. Oily fish such as sardines - a renowned "brain food" - should be available at least once a month and bread must be served daily.

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With close monitoring and a few standard precautions, nearly all children with known or suspected vaccine allergies can be safely immunized, according to a team of vaccine safety experts led by the Johns Hopkins Children's Center.

Writing in the September issue of Pediatrics, the multicenter research team offers pediatricians a step-by-step tool for quickly identifying children with allergic reactions to vaccines, and a much-needed guide, they say, to safely immunize those who are allergic.

Serious allergic reactions to vaccines are extremely rare - one or two per million vaccinations, according to some estimates - but when they happen, such episodes can be serious, even life-threatening, making it critical for pediatricians to instantly spot true allergic reactions and differentiate them from more benign nonallergic responses, investigators say. It is also crucial that pediatricians design a safe immunization plan for children with confirmed vaccine allergies. Children who have had one allergic reaction are believed to be at a higher risk for future reactions, typically more serious than the first.

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A fire retardant chemical used in electronics, toys and furniture has been detected in children's blood at triple the levels found in their mothers, the Environmental Working Group reported on Thursday.

In a small pilot study of 20 families, the non-profit environmental group tested blood samples from mothers and their young children -- ages 18 months to four years -- for the presence of PBDEs, a hormone-disrupting chemical.

In 19 of the 20 families, concentrations of PBDEs were typically three times as high in children as in their mothers, said Sonya Lunder, the study's author. One child had six times the level of the chemical that was detected in her mother.

"To us, this raises concerns that kids live very differently in the same environment than their parents do and those kid-like behaviors put them at risk for contaminant exposure," Lunder said in a telephone interview.

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The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine doesn't raise a child's risk for autism, according to a new study designed to replicate a 1998 report that first suggested a link between the shot and the disorder.

The decade-old study suggested the MMR vaccine caused bowel ailments in children that led to autism. Using molecular technology to detect genetic material from the vaccine in bowel tissue, researchers from the U.S. and Ireland found no connection between the vaccine and autism, nor ties between intestinal symptoms and onset of autism.

The research is the latest of more than 20 studies that have dismissed a link between the vaccine and autism and aimed at reassuring parents of the benefits of vaccinating against childhood diseases. The 1998 paper touched off a wave of anxiety among parents, including many who refused to inoculate their children, leading to an increase in measles cases in the U.S.

``We in the scientific community had not addressed the issue with definitive research and this study was undertaken to fill that specific void,'' said Ian Lipkin, an epidemiology professor and the director of the Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health in New York, in a conference call with reporters. ``This is the first study to rigorously examine MMR vaccination and autism.''

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The scene outside Target Center after the crowd dispersed Wednesday night.

The numbers look bad -- 102 arrests outside the Target Center after last night's Rage Against the Machine concert -- but the reality is that the post-concert crowd was mostly peaceful, if boisterous and sweaty after a typically raucous show by the polemic rap-metal icons.

The overwhelming majority of those arrests consisted of tickets handed out by Minneapolis police officers to concertgoers who were then let go.

Only two of the 102 arrests were for gross misdemeanors, according to Lt. Tracey Martin of the Hennepin County Sheriff's Department and Joint Information Center. The rest were for misdemeanors. Fifteen of those arrested were booked into Hennepin County Jail, Martin said. Two remained in jail as of Thursday morning.

The arrests "were mostly [for] unlawful assembly and obstructing traffic," Martin said. One of the two still being held is there on charges of fourth-degree assault, the other for obstructing traffic''.

The approximately 13,000 concert attendees spilled onto the street about 10:30 p.m., with lots of shouting and fists being pumped into the air after the show by Rage Against the Machine, a group famous for delivering leftist politics in an angry barrage of punk and rap-metal.

"These aren't the people in downtown St. Paul causing trouble," said concertgoer Jesse Garcia, of Minneapolis. "These are just people here to hear music and have fun."

Concertgoers and dozens of riot-gear-equipped police officers armed with batons and tear gas, including a line of mounted officers, quickly faced off at the corner of Sixth Street and First Avenue. After about 30 minutes, an order was broadcast to the crowd to disperse. Much of the milling crowd slowly retreated, with scattered shouting toward Seventh Street and other outlets from the area.

Squads of cops on motorcycles, bicycles, horses, in police cars, unmarked vans and on foot headed away from the Target Center, one by one, up Sixth Street. It wasn't clear where they went after leaving the area immediately in front of the stadium.

Most of the arrests took place around midnight, Martin said, in the area of Seventh Street and Second Avenue. She said she didn't know if an incident occurred there to trigger the arrests.

The area immediately in front of the Target Center appeared to have been cleared by approximately 12:30 a.m., with little more than abandoned sweat-soaked T-shirts and thousands of fliers for various events covering the streets and a few remaining cops.source>>>