2011 archive
Re-Enslavement 0
Axel Caballero, writing in the Guardian, reports on Alabama’s moves to reinstitute slavery and forced labor:
So, here is how it goes. First, the state passes a harsh immigration law. Then, it detains large numbers of immigrants. Third, private prisons (LCS, CCA, GEO) receive fresh inmates. And finally, the artificially created labor shortage is supplied by the new inmates. Does this sound like modern-day slavery to anyone?
How Herman Cain Bagged the Tea 0
Dick Polman considers lure of Herman Cain and find his appeal to simple:
(snip)
The truth, as already ferreted out by most economists, is that Cain’s 9-9-9 would impose new tax burdens on low-income and middle-income Americans. Which is why a number of prominent conservative organs – including FreedomWorks, the Cato Institute, Americans for Tax Reform (home of Grover Norquist’s never-raise-taxes pledge), and the Wall Street Journal editorial board – have already begun taking their whacks at it.
Update from the Foreclosure-Based Economy, On the One Hand on the Other Hand Dept. 0
The Chicago Trib reports that indicators for jobs for process servers and robosigners continue strong:
That increase signals banks are moving more aggressively now against borrowers who have fallen behind on their mortgage payments than they have since industrywide foreclosure processing problems emerged last fall. Those problems resulted in a sharp drop in foreclosure activity this year.
Bloomberg, on the other hand, reacts to the same press release differently.
A total of 610,337 properties received notices of default, auction or repossession, down from 930,437 a year earlier and up from 608,235 in the second quarter, the Irvine, California-based data seller said today in a report. One in every 213 U.S. households got a filing.
I think the two organizations are looking at different sets of numbers: “initial notices of default” vs. final notices of default and actual foreclosure actions, but it is difficult to tell from the relatively short stories.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Always be polite on your way to the drunk tank.
Police said that Tennessee state Rep. Curry Todd® was pulled over at around 11:15 p.m. in Nashville, according to WSMV-TV. Officers found a loaded Smith & Wesson .38 Special hidden between the driver’s seat and center console.
An affidavit charged that the lawmaker was “almost falling down at times” and “obviously very impaired and not in any condition to be carrying a loaded handgun.”
He is being held on $3,000 bond at the Nashville Metro Jail.
Shamelessly stolen from Balloon Juice.
Mitt the Flip, Both Sides Now Dept. 0
Take the Which Mitt Quiz today.
Nothing To Do, Nowhere To Go 0
Still over 400k:
While U.S. employers hired more workers than anticipated in September, elevated firings signal companies may be slower to expand payrolls in the next few months. Political gridlock in Washington, with the Senate this week blocking the advance of President Barack Obama’s jobs plan, is another sign that any improvement on the job front will be slow to develop.
Break Time 0
Off to drink liberally.
Mummers (Perp) Parade 0
When I lived in the Greater Philadelphia Co-Prosperity Sphere, I could never muster the energy to attend the Mummers Parade, though I sometimes watched bits and pieces of it on the telly vision. Mumming seems to be its own little weird Philly subculture.
The idea of spending all of New Years Day standing on Broad Street straining to see a parade of over-dressed men with banjos from behind a bunch of folks taller than me never dragged me away from a nice warm television showing bowl games.
But I think I now understand why men mum.
Mitt the Flip Flips Again 0
Honestly, he could work in a pizza place, along with Herman Cain’t.
A snippet:
Mitt Romney said that corporations are people. Democrats believe that people are people.
Heartland Family Values 0
In Shawnee County, Kansas, you can’t have a same-sex spouse, but you can beat your other-sex spouse.
Such nice people.
Cantor’s Cant 0
The Commander Guy explains.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Even though you may feel road rage, remain polite:
The second driver, Wyche, stopped her vehicle, got out and allegedly started yelling and walking toward the victim, according to police interviews.
After Wyche told her to move her vehicle, the victim got out of her vehicle to confront her.
“(The victim) stated that Wyche removed the handgun from her purse and stated, ‘I can handle this myself. I can handle it, I can handle it now,’ ” wrote Officer Matthew Thompsen of the Salisbury Police Department.
Llamas and Tigers and Bears, Oh My 0
A woman in northern New Jersey saved one of her llamas from a bear attack.
Lydia Chiappini was asleep in her Blairstown home when she awoke to the screams of her llama “Gus” being mauled.
She stood the bear down.
The Internet Is a Public Place 0
And strong passwords won’t help with this. El Reg reports:
Sixty-one percent of websites tested by researchers from Stanford Law School’s Center for Internet and Society leaked the personal information, sometimes to dozens of third-party partners. Home Depot, for example, disclosed the first names and email addresses of visitors who clicked on an ad to 13 companies. The Wall Street Journal divulged to seven of its partners the email address of users who enter the wrong password. And Photobucket handed over the usernames of those who use the site to share images with their friends.
Street Theatre 0
Leonard Pitts, Jr., considers Occupy Wall Street. A nugget:
Nothing wrong with street theatre. It gets the attention of the audience.