2011 archive
Tea Leaf Leavings 0
Dick Polman parses the Standard and Poor’s report on the downgraded credit rating of the United States.
Whatever you think of S&P, which has a demonstrated record of incompetence (AAA-rated securitized mortgages anyone?), Mr. Polman’s analyis is quite worthwhile. A nugget:
Hence, a credit downgrade. Such is the tragic damage wrought by ideologues – at a time when most Americans deplore the ideologues.
One more time: Truman was correct.
Sticky: Unveiling 0
The new theme is up. If you like it, credits are at the bottom the page.
Don’t know whether I’ll mess with this thing again today.
If you observe any whiftiness, please use the “Contact” link at the top of the sidebar or leave a comment to this post to let me know of it, including as much detail as possible (what you were looking at, what you clicked on, etc.). A screenshot may be attached to an email if you think it would help.
I’m going to stick this to the top of the page for a few days.
I do have a question: The font size looked just fine to me when I was testing this on my local computer–in fact, I scaled it down a bit–but it appears a little small now. Please let me know if I should make it larger.
Addendum:
I went ahead and increased the font by 3 points. Feedback welcome.
Note:
As I add the finishing touches, I may play peek-a-boo themes from time-to-time.
Twits on Twitter 0
Bloomberg takes a look at free speech rights vs. continued employment in the world of twits:
If you twit about toil or Facebook about the factory (do we still have factories?), you might want to read it.
Hedgehogs 0
David P. Goldman, writing at Asia Times, considers the current economic news.
He finds a bright side:
That prompted an across-the-board liquidation of all assets, including commodities and emerging market equities most favored by the hedges. The nearly $2.6 trillion of hedge fund assets constitute the system’s only real bubble: too much money chasing too few returns, with a lot of fingers on the recall button. As of May, equity hedge funds with $1.25 trillion in assets had strongly net bullish positions.
As near as I can figure it out (I’m not a banker and hedge funds are notoriously secretive), hedge funds are premised on playing both ends against the middle while having cake eating it too. I do know that an acquaintance of mine who understands the mechanics of this stuff far better than I do has long considered hedge funds to be a destructive force.
Not So Smart Phones 0
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution contains a report on the growing attractiveness of smartphones to the makers of malware:
The article continues includes descriptions of various forms of malware. If you have or are considering a smartphone, take a look.
Race Card Croupiers 0
In the Miami Herald, Leonard Pitts, Jr., recounts a partial list (a newspaper column, probably not even a book, is insufficient for a complete list) of the wing-nut racism directed at President Obama, then sums up:
You know the answer. Worse, they do, too.
Click and read.
A Dog’s Life 0
Er, yeah.
Loris told police he “doesn’t beat dogs. He doesn’t even beat women,” according to a police affidavit.
Christie 0
It says something about the current Republican Party that a quite conservative governor with a record of enacting layoffs and cuts in services gets to be a hero for simply saying something sane (Warning: Short commercial at beginning):
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Via C&L.
Atheists vs. Genesis 0
I find the growth of what I can only describe as militant atheism rather troubling.
Now, I have no problem with atheism. I’m not an atheist, but I can understand the reasoning that can lead to that position because, ultimately, questions of faith cannot be proven. That’s why it’s called “faith.” (And, as I told an atheist friend of mine, if I’m wrong, I’m just as dead.)
I do find the crusading tone of some atheists in the public square rather troubling, because it is becoming strident, obnoxious, and crusading; strident, obnoxious crusaders don’t win friends and influence people, at least, not in the way they expect to. Their rationality has gone full-circle to fanaticism.
I suspect that this tone is a backlash against right-wing fundamentalism, which has morphed from a religious persuasion to a political one and long ago achieved fanaticism.
Thoreau makes an interesting observation:
The creation myths of the Israelites have nothing to do with Christianity.
Those from either side of this argument who believe they do miss the point of the life and teachings of Jesus.
Facebook Frolics 0
OhMyGov! reports:
Were I a teacher, I would consider being a Facebook “friend” with a student probably a really bad idea. I’d want to be free of the little darlings when I left work for my sanity.
Nevertheless, that does not seem to be what the law is all about.
Update from the Foreclosure-Based Economy 0
Housing prices would be rising, but foreclosures are keeping them within reach of those few persons who can still qualify for mortgages.
Dustbiters 0
More pillars of the community turn into pillars of salt.
The American Banking Community, an example for the world.