Titans of Industry category archive
Walmart SNAPs To 0
It’s an inconvenient truth that economic help for the poor helps the economy, because the poor put that money right back in circulation.
Case in point: Walmart misses itself them food stamps.
Billions of dollars were cut from the program last year, which left food-stamp recipients who shop at Wal-Mart with less money to spend at the world’s largest retailer, the report says.
Responsible Fiscals 0
This could get interesting.
(snip)
According to the complaint, that left First Choice, and other similar financial institutions, with “significant costs associated with, among other things, notifying its members of issues related to the Target Data Breach, closing out and opening new customer accounts, reissuing members’ cards, and/or refunding members’ losses resulting from the unauthorized use of their accounts.”
I’m torn.
There is an emotional appeal to the thought that companies should be held accountable for such massive screw-ups. Yet, we don’t know that Target was directly responsible. Target’s point-of-sale devices contained malware; my reading tells me that many outfits contract out their point-of-sale technology to vendors.
Is Target a legitimate target, is its vendor, or do we get a circular firing squad? May we as customers sue our banks when they get penetrated (after all, they penetrate us all the tim–never mind).
If the suit encourages American card companies to adopt the chip-and-PIN technology used in Europe, which they have resisted because it’s “inconvenient” (yet massive data breaches are somehow “convenient”) (Edit: and the change would cost money), it might be all to the good.
For a good discussion of the Target breach by computer security experts, listen to the latest NetSec podcast.
The Fee Hand of the Market 0
I was at a gathering recently with someone who considers himself a “Libertarian.” He was a nice guy, but, for some reason, not receptive to my position that “Libertarianism is a sophisticated rationale for amoral selfishness that refuses to recognize the sociological reality of original sin” (that is, the innate capacity and willingness of humans to do bad things because they can get away with them). (I was slightly more tactful than that, but not much.)
Discourse with ideologues is difficult. No mind is more closed than that of a true believer.
I did not pull out my “A Libertarian is a Republican who is ashamed to admit it” argument. I am saving that for a future encounter . . . .
Image via Bartcop.
Everybody Must Get Fracked . . . 0
. . . but tell no one.
Spill Here, Spill Now 0
Oily spill leads to oil slick lawyers.
Self-Abuse 0
They sell you out and then sell you souvenirs.
One Shop Stop 0
Strange.
Everybody Must Get Fracked 0
The burning drinking water is not the only problem, perhaps not even the main one. Joe Nocera:
It is well established that when natural gas is combusted, it has both environmental and climate change benefits — starting with the fact that natural gas emits half the carbon of coal. But that advantage disappears when too much methane leaks during any part of the production process.
According to the Environmental Defense Fund, “Methane is at least 28 times more powerful than CO2 as a greenhouse gas over the longer term and at least 84 times more potent in the near term.”
More at the link.
By the way, the high here Monday was 73 Fahrenheits. In the middle of November.
My friend, who has lived in these parts for a long time, doesn’t really notice it because of having adjusted gradually, but I, who moved away and then came back, can attest that that is just not right.