2012 archive
The Fee Hand of the Market 0
Free-market capitalism, indeed. The editors of Bloomberg explain how the banksters parlay bad judgment and reckless bets into places at the public trough.
Remember, when you hear talk of “bail-outs” of Greece and Spain and wherever, who’s actually being bailed-out: banks who placed bets in made loans to Greece and Spain and wherever. Greece and Spain and wherever get to wave at the money as it goes by.
Microsoft Phones It In. 0
Microsoft unveiled its tablet yesterday.
I predict that it will be almost as successful as the Windows phone.
Diagramming Sentences 0
Remember diagramming sentences?
I don’t know if that’s taught any more, but, as English is a language of word order, it damned well should be.
Bob Cesca gives a simple example.
Brendan Makes a Phone Call 0
Brendan’s back, and he’s on the phone again.
Droning On, Apocalypse Pending Dept. 0
At the Chicago Tribune, Robert C. Koehler takes a critical look at the ethical implications of raining robotic death from the skies. A nugget:
When we murder by drone, we may be both perpetuating an inhuman, bureaucratic control over random enemies and, at the same time, satisfying an age-old lust to play god.
If you follow only one link from this site, make it this one.
Droning On, SkyNet Dept. 0
Asia Times reports:
It’s fitting that Terminator Planet: The First History of Drone Warfare, 2001-2050 has been put together by Tom Engelhardt – editor, MC of the TomDispatch website and “a national treasure”, in the correct appraisal of University of Michigan professor Juan Cole – and TomDispatch’s associate editor Nick Turse, author of the seminal 2008 study The Complex: How the Military Invades Our Everyday Lives.
I haven’t decided whether to get it yet, but I probably shall. I know I should. And you should too.
Get it here.
The Privatization Racket(eers) 0
A charter member of the “Milking it for all it’s worth” club in Florida:
It also proved a dramatic point about the state’s $1 billion charter-school industry: that the freedom granted to charters can open the door to for-profit companies with little interest in following the rules or achieving student success.
As the charter school movement refocuses on profit over education, expect more like this.
Football uber Alles, Dept. of Humanities Dept. 0
. . . where those in authority circle the wagons to protect their own because it’s the “humane” thing to do.
A snippet from Karen Heller’s column today:
How many young boys ago was 2001?
(snip)
Investigators uncovered e-mails, which were reported Monday, by Spanier and now-suspended athletic director Timothy Curley and former vice president Gary Schultz suggesting that the “humane” treatment of Sandusky was to not inform law enforcement.
It’s the ultimate corruption of the rich and powerful: exempting themselves from standards of society, because, well, they can. After all, he wears nice suits; he looks good in meetings; he brings us good press; he’sjust . . . well . . . pukka sahib, eh, what.
(And if you this is only the condition at football factories, read the financial pages for Pete’s sake.)
The Munchausen Strategy 0
Eric Zorn sums up Republican campaign strategy, which is, quite simply, to make stuff up (emphasis added):
(snip)
They seem to figure if they repeat this often enough, you’ll believe it.
Why do they lie? Because they keeping getting away with it.
Horsing around with Public Funds 0
All she wanted wasa a source of stable funding:
Marshals have been overseeing the care of the horses since shortly after Rita Crundwell, 59, was arrested in April on charges she pilfered more than $53 million over nearly 22 years as the town official with almost sole control over finances. Prosecutors have said she used the money to fund her championship horse breeding business as well as a lavish lifestyle.
Maybe her daddy should have given her that pony back when she was six . . . .
Dustbiters 0
While I was enjoying the nice June weather last night and looking for signs of the times, the FDIC was busy spreading vanishing cream on more financial geniuses. These dodos are extinct.
The Farmers Bank of Lynchburg, Lynchburg, Tennessee
Sign of the Times 0
I should report this, but I decided not to go there.