Twenty Things May 10, 2010
SHORT STACK
PRINCESS
Growing numbers of folks feel that the best way to keep the internet vibrant and free is to rid it of corporate meddling. For those who feel strongly about that, we have scattered about our site "DONATE" buttons that guarantee our freedom of action and expression.
Thanks - you are doing the right thing.
Voices From The Net
" Mr. fat finger's responsible for a HUGE stock market crash......not one but TWO false bomb alarms in Time Square......and a giant shoe box being lowered to stop the geyser a mile under the ocean....it's all been for show. "
How Mathematics Might Have Caused the Financial Crisis
As economics developed over the last several decades, the technical requirements — the math requirements in particular — have increased substantially. In order to fit these new mathematical tools and techniques into the graduate curriculum and give them the attention they needed, it became necessary to find other courses to cut.
“Feeding Frenzy” as banks pretend and extend
The guy in the house has been on the foreclosure roles for a long time. Apparently, he ran up loans 15% over the original amount, which suggests he may have been using the house price as an ATM when prices were going up. But now he is making partial payments to avoid being foreclosed. The interesting thing is that by making a partial payment, the owner can get off the foreclosure roles and stay in his home.. until he misses another payment, which in this case has happened several times.
Some of the information might be a surprise to many people. The most amazing numbers on income inequality come last, showing the change in the ratio of the average CEO's paycheck to that of the average factory worker over the past 40 years.
Mary Johnson was cook in her master's family in New Orleans. On her left arm are scars of three cuts given to her by her mistress with a rawhide. On her back are scars of more than fifty cuts given by her master. The occasion was that one morning she was half an hour behind time in bringing up his five o'clock cup of coffee. As the Union army approached she ran away from her master, and has since been employed by Colonel Hanks as cook.
Voices From The Net
" Don't show the populace the truth. They cannot handle. Show them puppy dogs and pixxle sticks, and soccer Moms giving their kids green treats. "
Six Easy Steps to Avert the Collapse of Civilization
Neuroscientist and fiction writer David Eagleman presents "Six Steps to Avert the Collapse of Civilization."
Africa goes to church, the mosque and the witch doctor
As sub-Saharan Africa looks to the future, an intriguing attachment remains to the traditional beliefs that many Christian and Muslim leaders condemn.
So Stupid it Hurts to Read:
Greece Today – USA Tomorrow - Under Obama
Bottom line… if we don’t do away with public sector labor unions, we cannot reel in our runaway government or the high cost of bailing out the unions while the nation goes under.".
Voices From The Net
" Alcoholism and most other "addictions" are not monolithic, they have multiple causes and conditions. That is why something that works for one person might not work for another. My gf stopped drinking after she went to AA for a month. She has been sober for a couple of years now. She does not need meetings or baclofen or antabuse or anything other than her will and the conditions which support her sobriety. There is a long tradition in medicine for substituting one drug for another. They used to treat cocaine addiction with morphine. AA people confuse the relative truth "it works for me" with the absolute truth "it is true for everyone". "
Requiem for Detroit
Stunning 2010 BBC documentary on the urban decline of Detroit
Voices From The Net
" I was addicted to video games, World of Warcraft in particular. And when the Baclofen started, my gameplay changed. I started playing with more of a purpose, and I no longer really felt the compulsive need to play. So, when guild drama flared up for the nth time, like the other times, I said 'fuck this shit' and walked away from the game, suspending my account. Unlike the other times, however, I've stayed away. "
The research is over and the candidates have been chosen for DeathList 2010. The list comprises the celebrities thought most likely to die during 2010. A quick rundown of the rules: Candidates must be famous in their own right such that their death is expected to be reported by the UK media, however candidates cannot be famous purely for the fact they are likely to die soon. A maximum of 25 candidates on the previous year’s list can reappear on the next year’s list. The 2009 list recovered from a slow start (and some shocking misses!) to record a valiant 12 deaths. No dead certs on this year but hopefully a solid list that can deliver plenty. Despite the valued contributions of the forum members, the long-standing record of 14 deaths is starting to look tough to beat.
Financial constraints and innovation: Why poor countries don't catch up
How can poor countries stop playing catch up? The question continues to puzzle economists. This column argues that the innovative and productive activities of domestic firms in emerging markets are inhibited by financial frictions. Financial reforms will be most effective if they target the vulnerable small and young domestic firms and those in the service sector.
What's Worse: High Unemployment or Inflation?
If it persists much longer, this era of high joblessness will likely change the life course and character of a generation of young adults—and quite possibly those of the children behind them as well. It will leave an indelible imprint on many blue-collar white men—and on white culture. It could change the nature of modern marriage, and also cripple marriage as an institution in many communities. It may already be plunging many inner cities into a kind of despair and dysfunction not seen for decades. Ultimately, it is likely to warp our politics, our culture, and the character of our society for years.
Economists’ Hubris – The Case of Risk Management
We must recognize that not everything can be regulated and, more important, financial transactions slip away from the regulated sector. By late 2007, more credit was provided to the U.S. economy from securitization than from the deposit-taking banking sector. Systemic risk will always be able to arise from the unregulated sector, for the reasons we have developed in this paper. So far there don’t appear to be any very effective solutions for this problem.
Voices From The Net
" " The immigration debate is a scam. It's fear-mongering, foisted by busy-bodies of all varieties. The result will be Bigger Government in Washington, DC. It will control YOU. And now, it's up to YOU to decide . . . Are you afraid of terrorists and Mexicans? ...or whatever hobgoblin the Big Government Fearmongers will conjure next? Will you be free and brave, or dependent and cowardly? Will you trade YOUR FREEDOM for a false promise of protection? This is how we see the issue. And if you end up in chains, remember who warned you. We did.
DWARF KINGDOM ... or HUMAN ZOO?
You Decide
Municipalities are not quite as numerous as homeowners, but there certainly are a lot of them. And they have the same issues as homeowners. Granted, they will not pour cement down the toilet before walking away. But they have a potentially equally irrational group – the local taxpayers – to deal with.
Batshit Craziness for the Thinking Challenged:
An Alternate View with Mixed Metaphors' and Unhealthy Paranoia.
Voices From The Net
Umm...I think you guys totally missed the point I was trying to make. I just got home from work and am in no mood to explain it. I'll do it in the morning while I'm having my wake up coffee.
Hand Picked Books From The Library Of
Aetius Romulous
(Collect the whole set!)
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