RealClearMarkets just posted a really interesting writeup of an updated Wal-Mart effect. In the same way that I am upset by my dependence on Google in the electronic world I am concerned by the increasing dominance of Wal-Mart in the retail sector. Possible discussion topics for people to use as rant starting points: dangers and advantages of a dominant chain in such an important market (remember how large a portion of income is spent on groceries, clothing, and relatively cheap entertainment goods); visceral reactions to Wal-Mart based on domestic and/or international labor issues; a comparison of Wal-Mart's and Google's strategies and popularity.
Another grammar check: If I am going to the house owned by Marcia and Dave am I going to "Marcia and Dave's house" or to "Marcia's and Dave's house"? I argue that the first is grammatically correct but that the second makes a whole hell of a lot more sense based on the fact that it demonstrates the possessive for each individual. Perhaps the entire sentence structure is flawed and should simply be rephrased to avoid confusion.
November 26, 2008
TV on the Internet
I just read about Sling.com, a new website that streams television shows for free. I haven't really checked it out yet, but the review I read said it is about the same as Hulu.
The sites I know of for watching TV online:
Hulu
Sidereel
Sling
Anyone know of any others?
The sites I know of for watching TV online:
Hulu
Sidereel
Sling
Anyone know of any others?
10 Republicans Who Should Go
I really enjoyed this list of "10 Republicans who should go away."
My personal favorite on the list was Dick Cheney, whose writeup included, "Cheney has always remained largely behind the scenes due to a distinct lack of personality and aura of extreme evil, but wields his influence expertly with his nuanced understanding of the dark arts of politics. Cheney is the epitome of a political hack, a gutless grey blob of a man with a record of detached violence and personal greed."
My personal favorite on the list was Dick Cheney, whose writeup included, "Cheney has always remained largely behind the scenes due to a distinct lack of personality and aura of extreme evil, but wields his influence expertly with his nuanced understanding of the dark arts of politics. Cheney is the epitome of a political hack, a gutless grey blob of a man with a record of detached violence and personal greed."
Billion Dollar Losers
Here's another slideshow, this of the top twenty largest losers in the financial meltdown. While it's hard to feel sorry for anyone who can lose a billion dollars, some of these guys lost substantially more than half their net worth and, well, it's kinda tough not to feel sorry for anyone that happens to.
Presidential Turkey Pardons
This is pretty stupid, but it's worth it just for the pictures of Reagan and Bush 43.
November 25, 2008
President-Elect Obama
By the way, I just want to say I'm thrilled with how Obama is doing so far. I know we don't have that much to go on yet but everything he says has been extremely reasonable, and solution-oriented above politics-oriented. Even his hint that he may wait for the Bush tax cuts to expire instead of repealing them immediately, while a bit to the right of my own economic philsophy - is an encouraging signal that he won't make the even-worse mistake of going too far to the left on the economy. That's all I've got.
Quick Back-Pat Update
Wiki White House
I enjoyed this article about the potential for Obama's version of whitehouse.gov. While most of the listed features are not really feasible (at least not in one large jump), overall I agree that it is time for government to have a mechanism for public response that is more personal than protests and the occasional visit to the voting booth. Perhaps a true democracy will emerge in digital form.
November 24, 2008
Check out this balance, Liberals!
It is a wonderful day for those of us who support the liberal media conspiracy and its subversive, communist goals. One of the most outspoken, principled, and "hard-hitting liberal[s]" of our time will now have his own show. We should all send wonderful letters to Fox News describing our jubilation.
Hilarious for NYU Politics majors
Check out this upcoming History Channel show. The premise is that Bruce Bueno de Mesquita is a modern-day Nostradamus. Seriously.
Update: Carly and I just hung out with Steve, so I accidentally wrote Machiavelli instead of Nostradamus. I'm an idiot. My apologies.
Update: Carly and I just hung out with Steve, so I accidentally wrote Machiavelli instead of Nostradamus. I'm an idiot. My apologies.
Utility often seduces me
This short Times piece could have been written by me, and I feel basically the way the writer does: Slightly creeped out by Google's familiarly with my personal information, but unable to resist its handy tools. Any thoughts on this or internet privacy issues in general?
UPDATE: I could/should delete this, considering Carly just posted the same article, but I think it's pretty funny to compare the fact that we posted the same thing and said the same stuff about it within 3 minutes of each other.
UPDATE: I could/should delete this, considering Carly just posted the same article, but I think it's pretty funny to compare the fact that we posted the same thing and said the same stuff about it within 3 minutes of each other.
I enjoyed reading this article. I followed a similar progression to using many of Google's features. And as for a large corporation kind of controlling my life, I believe Carr said it rather well: "If Google owns me, it’s probably because I am in favor of what works"
Cabinet profiles (12/15)
I would like to have one central place with articles profiling potential Cabinet members (and those filling Cabinet-level posts). This will make it easier for me to learn about them. Does anyone agree or disagree? Perhaps I will just create a table in this post that can be edited by anyone who would like to add a link (see below).
General links related to the composition of Obama's Cabinet and/or administration:
General links related to the composition of Obama's Cabinet and/or administration:
- "Well Done" - The New Republic
- "Obama Unveils Team to Tackle 'Historic' Crisis in Economy" - The New York Times
- "Obama Defends Cabinet: The Change Will Come From Me" - Huffington Post
- "The Five Best Jobs Obama Has Yet to Fill" - Politico
- "Obama, Aides Considering Appointing Energy 'Czar'" - The Wall Street Journal
| Cabinet-Level Position | Candidate | Articles |
|---|---|---|
| Vice President | Sen. Joseph Biden | |
| White House Chief-of-Staff | Rep. Rahm Emanuel | |
| Environmental Protection Agency | ||
| Office of Management and Budget | Peter Orszag | |
| National Drug Control Policy | ||
| Trade Representative |
| Other position | Candidate | Articles |
|---|---|---|
| National Security Advisor | Marine General James L. Jones | "Who Is Jim Jones?" - The New Republic |
| Head of White House Economic Council | Lawrence H. Summers | |
| Head of Council of Economic Advisers | Christina D. Romer | |
| Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council | Melody Barnes | |
| White House Social Secretary | Desirée Rogers |
|
advice needed
the headlines are freaking me out - should I close my Citibank checking account and switch over to Chase?
A cheery quote to start the week
John Kenneth Galbraith, The Great Crash: 1929, Intro-XIV:
[...] The phrases are the same: 'The economic situation is fundamentally sound' or simply 'The fundamentals are good.' All who hear these words should know that something is wrong.
November 23, 2008
As promised
For Carly and Bart (and all others, obviously): New Yorker's McCain postmortem. It's balanced and pretty interesting.
Also, I liked this cartoon, from the same issue:
Also, I liked this cartoon, from the same issue:
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