Links of the day

Volcano Shaped Mall - It turns out that malls don't have to be ugly square shaped buildings that blight the landscape but something more creative and aesthetically pleasing. Click the link for a gallery of images for the Volcano Buono Mall in Italy whose design was inspired by the nearby Mt. Vesuvius.

Judge Rejects Merrill Settlement - Federal Judge Rakoff voice a $33 million settlement between Bank of America and Securities and Exchange Commission over the disclosure of bonuses to shareholders while at the same time it was asking for bailout money. “The S.E.C. gets to claim that it is exposing wrongdoing on the part of the Bank of America in a high-profile merger,” he wrote, and “the Bank’s management gets to claim that they have been coerced into an onerous settlement by overzealous regulators.” I couldn't agree more. All the BoA execs care about is protecting their personal fortunes (and to hell with everyone else's) and the department is just focused on political points rather than justice. Good call.

Mythbusters Return October 7th - Took long enough but finally new episodes of one of my most favorite shows on TV starts. The new season will test multiple myths. For example will a fired bullet vs. a dropped bullet, which will hit first (I would think momentum would give the fired bullet the lead but at terminal velocity both would fall at the same rate after). Does a muddy car get better mileage then clean one? (I guess aerodynamics question, I am going with no). What is the strength of duct tape? Also will a car explode when going over a cliff and hitting the ground like see in the movies all the time? (I am betting no). Overall, sounds like lots of boom and entertainment.

Wii Price Drop September 27th? - A leaked Toy R Us add suggests that the Wii could get a price cut to $200. Preliminarily it appears to be a Toys R Us only sale but considering the price drop on the PS3 and Xbox combined with the Wii's diminishing sales it seems likely to be a permanent price in the near future.

New Rules: Democrats Need to Grow a Pair - Bill Maher tore Obama and the Democrats a new one for their continued wussiness (he uses harsher words). Like me, he is a bit sick and tired of the Democrats constantly caving to Republican pressure and listening to the vocal minority. They are in the majority, with the majority often supporting their agenda (in this case 70% for healthcare reform), yet they constantly act like the underdogs that have to cave to every little thing the Republicans want. For once, they need to grow a spine, some balls, and tell the GOP were to shove it and quick pretending that they want to work together. They do not want to. Thanks to the Bush era, "compromise" is a four letter word so there is no point in continuing the one sided debate and inevitable ends with a GOP victory (in this case defined as a gutted and useless healthcare bill).