March, 2013 archive
Obsession 0
I’ve told this story before, but any joke worth telling once is worth telling again.
-
So the fellow settled down on the shrink’s couch. The shrink, being an old-line Freudian, decided to start with the Rorschach test.
He held up an inkblot. “What does this remind you of?” he asked.
“Sex,” answered the patient.
He held of another inkblot. “What does this remind you of?” he asked.
“Sex,” answered the patient.
This went on until the entire library of inkblots was exhausted.
After a long pause, the shrink stroked his goatee (I said he was an old-line Freudian) and said, “I think you are obsessed with sex.”
“Me!” screamed the patient, jumping off the couch. “You’re the guy with all the dirty pictures!”
Meanwhile, over at Delaware Liberal, Pandora wonders what it is about the word “consent” that some folks don’t understand.
At the Roanoke Times, Stratton Wayne St.Clair thinks our society’s attitude towards sex may have something to do with it. A nugget:
Add to this mix the ongoing puritanical attitude toward sex that actually goes hand in hand with the above, is it any wonder kids (not to mention adults) are confused and messed up regarding sexuality?
a wink, we have a shortage of images of what an adult, mature sexual life looks like.Until Americans can talk about sex and sexual conduct without either giggling or getting the vapors, silly, stupid, vicious sexual conduct will continue to be common.
Eroded Banks 0
Martin Hutchinson has lost faith in bankers.
Follow the link to find out why.
The Ad Exxon Doesn’t Want You To See 0
So much so that they served a cease and desist order on Comcast in Houston to keep it off the air. C&L has the story.
Sign the petition.
Whom Do You Love? 0
Alexandra Petri laments the passing of whom.
Who?
No, whom.
This notion that some folks have that, at some dim dark time in the past, everyone used precisely correct grammar, is a favorite fantasy of the Miss Grundies of this world.
Persons don grammar like clothing–they suit it to their environment.
One does not wear white tie and tails to the old fishing hole.
Of course, these days, some people wear jeans to weddings and don’t take off their baseball caps at funerals, so maybe she has a point.
Shipwrights and Shipwrongs 0
Her days are numbered, and the number is low.
I have some pictures of her at berth on my boating page; scroll down to see them.
Lies and Lying Liars 0
Chris Honore discovers that Republicans lie. A snippet:
Who woulda thunk?
Do read the rest, which details the path to this discovery.
_________________
*Methinks he misplet “Reince.”
Architects of Obesity 0
Neil Izenberg argues that modern kitchens are making us fat by making eating too fun and convenient. A nugget.
Move the kitchen back outside to a separate building where God intended!
Better yet, fire circles, like the good old days or let’s just gather nuts and berries.
Blame the Victim 0
At the University of North Carolina, which seems to have relocated to Steubenville.
The decision to pursue the honor court violations against Gambill are in retaliation for her participation in a Title IX complaint filed against the university and for her public criticisms of the way the school treats sexual violence survivors, he wrote.
Although she has not publicly identified the man she alleges raped her, Gambill is accused of violating the honor code by creating an environment that’s intimidating for him. A university hearings board earlier cleared him of sexual assault charges but found him guilty of harassing her. He faces no criminal charges.
The Booman has more.
A. Morose Code 0
Q. What do you use to send a sad telegram?
H/T Susan.
Twits on Twitter 0
Stay classy, Republican twits.
Pirates of the Mediterranean 0
Der Spiegel attempts to clarify what’s going on in Cyprus. The short version is that the banks blew it (sound familiar?) and now want the people who trusted them to pay the price. If you are puzzled by the headlines, I recommend the article highly.
A nugget on why there is pressure to tax the depositors–they are the only persons the banks have not yet screwed:
- The bank’s investors have already lost massive shares of their investments. In the fall of 2011, the three biggest financial institutions still had a market capitalization of €2.4 billion, but it has since fallen to €500 million. Since mid-2012, the Cypriot government has owned 84 percent of Laiki Bank. By then, private investors were only still in possession of shares that held a total value of several million euros. Major shareholders at other banks also have relatively little to contribute to any rescue package. Just take billionaire Russian investor Dmitry Rybolovlev, who owns 5 percent of the Bank of Cyprus. In recent months, he has had to sit back and watch as the value of his holding shrank to around €20 million.
- Holders of bank bonds were to be next in line to be held liable for the bailout. They lent money to the financial institutions and had to assume that, in the worst case, they wouldn’t get it back. In a passage that attracted little attention over the weekend, the Euro Group also announced that second-tier bonds would also be seized as part of the restructuring program. Those possessing Tier-1 guaranteed bonds would not be hit. Still, it is doubtful that this channel would suffice to raise the €5.8 billion needed. Cypriot banks have long relied on the gigantic deposits held in their accounts and have not needed to issue large quantities of bonds to raise cash. As such, there is a paucity of bonds that could now be seized as part of a restructuring program.
- This leaves the depositors. This is by far the largest single source of potential money. Statistics collected by Greece’s central bank suggest that some €68 billion is deposited in Cypriot banks. Around €25 billion of that sum originated from foreign depositors, a large share of them from Russia and Ukraine. This is where the so-called “one-off stability levy” rejected on Tuesday by the Cypriot parliament was supposed to be applied.
NIMBY Consultants 0
Republicanism, agin’ big guvmint except when for big guvmint.
(snip)
The Spectrum contract is the latest in a series of steps aimed at protecting the state from military downsizing. The governor’s office did not announce the agreement, but a copy of the contract is posted on the state’s website.
Susie Sampson Samples the Teabags at CPAC 0
Jeez oh man! Words fail me.
Drinking Liberally Virginia Beach Thursday 0
Fun and fellowship for liberals. Join us and talk about anything in a relaxed atmosphere.
When: Thursday, March 28th, 6 p.
Where:
Croc’s 19 Street Bistro
620 19th Street (Map)
More here.
