February, 2010 archive
The Entitlement Society 0
A modest proposal:
For example, if the lowest-paid worker at a company earns the federal minimum wage – currently $7.25 an hour, or an annual income of $15,080 at full time – then the total compensation for the top executive (including stock options and yachts) would be limited to about $1.5 million. If a company pays its lowest-paid worker a “living wage” – for a single mother with one child living in New York City, $19.66 an hour, or $40,893 a year – the top executive could take home more than $4 million.
Fat chance.
Looking good in meetings, writing nice emails, and testifying before Congress is ever so much more worthwhile than actually producing something of value.
What To Do If It Snows 0
Helpful instructions via the Wilmington News-Journal’s “twit the snowstorm” page.
Floored 0
I haven’t followed this closely, though I have read the newspaper stories and I listened to this (which, although titled “U. S. Auto Industry,” turned into a discussion of Toyota’s Pintos), but, frankly, it is easy to wonder there might be more to this than floormats and friction:
But Tuesday, U.S. officials joined outside experts in suggesting that a third factor may be to blame in some cases: a so-far-unidentified failure in the vehicles’ electronic throttle systems.
Toyota Motor Corp. and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) say they have explored that possibility and come up dry.
“We have investigated every type of possible interference with the electronic throttle controls and have found nothing – nothing with the electronics or the computers – that could lead to unintended acceleration,” said Toyota spokeswoman Cindy Knight. . . .
This. Does. Not. Compute. 0
And Now for Something Completely Different 0
Legos at the Beeb.
No Refills (Updated) 1
Likely hoping for a settlement:
It may not be so frivolous as it seems. Knowing the facts may cause you to re-consider the legendary McDonald’s coffee case, which is frequently cited as an example of tort law gone wild.
Addendum:
“The Continuing Rise of Bankruptcy in the Middle Class” 0
The triumph of Republican Economic Theory.
We Need Single Payer 0
Ashley Sayeau, an American ex-pat living in London, writes at the Guardian:
Ideology and Wishful Thinking 0
Tom dissects Republican economic theory in response to a commenter (identified as Mr. K) on his blog. A nugget:
And what gets me is the way that folks like Mr. K. seem to think two things:
First, that contracts may be binding for thee and me, but not if your contract happens to be collectively bargained and between an individual and the state. The cop who started work ten years ago signed on to a challenging, difficult and sometimes dangerous job in exchange for a defined compensation package. Now we should throw this away? I don’t think so.
When Zombie Banks Walked the Earth 0
There is a certain delightful irony in this. There’s a line forming at the returns desk (emphasis added):
The banks are setting aside more reserves to cover the potential costs of such repurchases, cutting into earnings.
The trend is also pitting big lenders, insurers and mortgage-finance institutions against each other. That’s a big change from the previous decade, when they worked together to fuel the housing boom by originating, insuring and securitizing mortgages in record amounts.
Christopher Whalen, managing director of research firm Institutional Risk Analytics, offered up a colorful metaphor for the unfolding situation.
Nothing To Do, Nowhere To Go 0
Recycling 0
Just think how hunky-dory everything would be now if Bush had just gotten this through the first time.
Dreaming of the 50s 0
Back in the olden days, when I was a young ‘un, there was a joke that went something like this:
Q. Should women have clubs?
A. Soitenly. Clubs, rolling pins, baseball bats, whatever they want. (Rim shot)
One would hesitate to tell that joke today, not for any reason of “political correctness,” but simply because it’s no longer funny. It is meaningless in the context of most of contemporary society.
Unless, of course, you are a Republican.
The Entitlement Society, Microcosm Dept. 0
For some persons, too much is never enough. Take, for example, this.
The United States Slopes to the Southwest 0
Everything loose rolls to California.