August, 2011 archive
QOTD 0
Dustbiters 0
Friday is responsible fiscal day, when the FDIC culls the herd:
It’s the Authenticity, Stupid 0
Facebook Frolics 0
He called from jail to ask a Facebook friend to label another Facebook friend a snitch. It looks like his status report was a sentence too long . . . .
Your Get What You Pay For 0
John M. Crisp recounts some of the public facilities that he uses every day, such as the highway system, and those he hopes he never has to use, such as the fire department. Then he points out, as I have from time to time, that taxes are the price for living in a civilized society. A nugget:
This position is based on two dubious economic principles: first, that Americans know more about what to do with their money than the government does. And, second, if we let the rich, especially, keep more of their money, they’ll create plenty of jobs for the rest of us.
Can we look around and say that our society is more civilized today than it was before the Republicans started their relentless assault on the polity?
Not a Good Way To Win a Girl Over 0
A technique for flirting that I have not seen recommended elsewhere:
Market Myth-Makers 1
One of the shibboleths of the right wing is the belief in “The Market” as some kind of impartial and implacable external force that exists apart of government.
This supports their ardent faith in deregulation. “Deregulate,” they say, “and The Market will just fix everything.”
It’s almost a form of idolatry, worshipping engraven bits of paper, rather than graven images.
At Asia Times, George Friedman argues that the separation of market and state ain’t necessarily so, even when viewed through the lens of Adam Smith. A snippet:
The Eyes Have It 1
Teabaggers have been upset about the Michelle Bachmann Newsweek cover photo, claiming that Newsweek chose a portrait in which Bachmann has crazy eyes.
Frankly, I didn’t think that the picture looked any crazier than other pictures of her.
Now comes Noz to inform me that Newsweek has retaliated by releasing its other potential cover photos.
Oh. I was correct about them eyes.
One thing puzzles me out of all of this: Who cares about Newsweek?
Site Redesign Update (Updated) 2
I tinkered with the CSS yesterday and am now generally happy with the font sizes. It took a little digging to find out where to adjust the headings on the sidebar.
This morning, thanks to an email from one of my two or three regular readers citing research that italics can be hard for geezers like me to read, I made the italics in the sidebar go away.
The only trouble that still needs shooting is that the entire sidebar contents are centered in Microsoft Internet Destroyer and are left-justified in every other browser known to mankind.
I want only the headings and certain individual bits of the sidebar centered.
I’ll deal with that later.
Suggestions and feedback are welcome.
Addendum:
Jack Handy’s Deep Thoughts are back.
The Absurd Cannot Be Satirized 0
When I read the latest from Andy Borowitz, I needed a minute to remember that the opening line was parody:
Foot-loose 0
Nothing To Do, Nowhere To Go 0
Under 400k.
One wonders how much of this is due to expiring benefits for the long-term jobless.