2012 archive
iStuffed 0
Asia Times reports on Apple’s off-shoring.
After addressing the notion that there are two economies, a “financial” economy (companies such as Goldman Sachs, which make money by playing with money) and a “real” economy (companies that make money by making stuff), they look at Apple and other tech companies:
A nugget:
Long before the banking collapse of 2008, such important US industries as machine tools, consumer electronics, auto parts, appliances, furniture, telecommunications equipment, and many others that had once dominated the global marketplace suffered their own economic collapse. Manufacturing employment dropped to 11.7 million in October 2009, a loss of 5.5 million or 32% of all manufacturing jobs since October 2000. The last time fewer than 12 million people worked in the manufacturing sector was in 1941. In October 2009, more people were officially unemployed (15.7 million) than were working in manufacturing.
This decimation of the manufacturing sector, which involved the elimination a massive number of well-paying manufacturing jobs, played a central role in the stagnation of income, wages, and purchasing power in the United States. In the three decades prior to the crash of 2008, Robert Reich notes, the wages of the typical American hardly increased, and actually dropped in the 2000s.
One result is that the number of persons who can afford the stuff that the “real” economy produces is decreasing apace.
Follow the link for the rest.
The Worst Legislative Body in the Free World 0
That’s how Mayor Green described Philadelphia City Council.
That august body is in eclipse.
A. P. Ticker explains:
Nothing To Do, Nowhere To Go 0
Slightly better:
(snip)
The four-week moving average for jobless claims, a less volatile measure than the weekly figures, fell to 375,750 last week from 377,750. It was the second-lowest average since 2008, after a 374,000 reading in the last week of December.
The Entitlement Society, Political Version 0
One can see the rationale for the law–one can imagine a Scott Walker or Rick Scott trumping up charges for political ends–but perhaps it needs a little rethinking.
This is hardly partisan. Remember Wilbur Mills.
The Agony of Fail 0
The local rag opens a story with this agonizing description of pain and despair.
But despite a history-making senior season, Mayes will sit out today’s ceremonies. He’ll instead spend the day working out.
Mayes fell short academically, failing to meet the NCAA’s minimum GPA or SAT score.
It’s about a kid whose grades aren’t good enough to play semi-pro college football having to sit out “Signing Day,” when high school kids (high school kids, mind you) learn which semi-pro college team is going to notpay them for playing football next year. (Wonder whether spending school days working out had anything to do with his grad–oh, never mind.)
The only persons with an IQ above 20 who care about “signing day” are at brewery ad agencies and ESPN.
Furrfu.
Make TWUUG Your LUG 0
Learn about the wonderful world of free and open source.
What: Monthly TWUUG Meeting.
Who: Everyone in TideWater/Hampton Roads with interest in any/all flavors of Unix/Linux. There are no dues or signup requirements. All are welcome.
Where: Lake Taylor Transitional Care Hospital in Norfolk Training Room. See directions below. (Wireless and wired internet connection available.)
When: 7:30 PM till whenever (usually 9:30ish) on Thursday, February 2.
Directions:
Lake Taylor Hospital
1309 Kempsville Road
Norfolk, Va. 23502 (Map)
Pre-Meeting Dinner at 6:00 PM (separate checks)
Uno Chicago Grill
Virginia Beach Blvd. & Military Highway (Janaf Shopping Center). (Map)
QOTD 0
Learned Hand, from the Quotemaster (subscribe here):
The mutual confidence on which all else depends can be maintained only by an open mind and a brave reliance upon free discussion.
New Frontiers in Flackery 0
Der Spiegel reports that the current killer cold wave in Europe has a corporate sponsor–the manufacturers of the German version of the Mini Cooper:
Now that’s cold.
This Is Not Right 0
Seventy-one Fahrenheits and healthy foot-tall daffodils preparing to bloom are not proper on a Junuary January (clearly I misplet “January,” but perhaps “Junuary” is appropriate) day in these lattitudes.
The Whole Picture 0
Steven M. predicts that, if Mitt the Flip does indeed lock down the Republican nomination for president, the punditocracy will convince itself that the Republican Party has beaten back the crazy and returned to being the party of Ev Dirksen and Nelson Rockefeller.*
“Look at what’s going in the states,” counsels Steven M. citing several examples, “and don’t buy the myth of a mellower GOP.”
__________________
*The evidence is that Mitt wears nice suits, doesn’t shout, and looks good in group photos
Droning On, Simply Because They Can 0
George Monbiot, writing at the Guardian, dissects the arrogant wantonness of raining death from the skies. A nugget:
This danger is acknowledged in a remarkably candid assessment published by the UK’s Ministry of Defence, which also deploys drones, and has also used them to kill civilians. It maintains that the undeclared air war in Pakistan and Yemen “is totally a function of the existence of an unmanned capability – it is unlikely a similar scale of force would be used if this capability were not available”.
Aside:
I do think that drawing a parallel between President George the Worst and President Obama, as he does in an early paragraph, is an example of rhetoric outdistancing evidence–not that I would ever fall into that trap–but the author’s larger point stands.
/strong
