Saturday, July 11, 2015
Old
I haven't had the necessary, um, enthusiasm to run much lately, so I've been doing a lot of walking/hiking instead. Now I am tired.
They Used To Care
I have mixed feelings about all the attempts at campaign finance regulation for various reasons, but one notable change in the last 15 years or so is that it used to be one of those nonpartisany/bipartisany issues that political reporters would support without fearing that they'd lose their objective cred by doing so. All that money was seen as "corruption" and even your nonpartisan objective reporter can oppose corrupt, right? If I were a bit more paranoid I'd say this was because McCain-Feingold was widely regarded as the Democratic Party Suicide Act. It didn't actually turn out that way, but that was the belief at the time.
But, in any case, that zeitgeist is good. Money is good. More money is better.
But, in any case, that zeitgeist is good. Money is good. More money is better.
Social Engineering
What's a bit weird is that so many people think that the loosening of zoning regulations - allowing, not requiring developers to build more densely - is the real social engineering. Don't worry, there will still be plenty of single family homes available.
As I've written many times, it would be illegal to build the urban hellhole in the urban hellhole today. There has been a bit of progress in the way the city sees these things, though it's generally two steps forward and one step back.
As I've written many times, it would be illegal to build the urban hellhole in the urban hellhole today. There has been a bit of progress in the way the city sees these things, though it's generally two steps forward and one step back.
Friday, July 10, 2015
Sometimes I Need To Pat Myself On The Back
I started doing the sucky blog thing because I thought that maybe it'd be a better way to make change in the world than writing sucky academic papers. Maybe occasionally I managed to score.
Print The Press Release
It's really easy to spread misinformation when there are people who are very willing to do it.
Pope On A Rope
I see a lot of liberals expressing sentiments like "THE POPE STILL SUCKS ON WOMEN'S RIGHTS AND GAY ISSUES SO HE STILL SUCKS." And, well, that's basically true. But he's the Pope, the head of a mostly conservative worldwide religion, not the leader of liberals. This Pope is better. I'll happily cheer better. The last two popes really sucked. JP II was treated as a nice guy, because he knew how to project that image, but he was a complete asshole. As for Benedict, well, I'll just say nothing. Better doesn't mean perfect, but better is progress.
Most people have no idea just how horrible the church was in Latin America, and how strong the backlash against them was in some places, particularly Mexico. They were bad actors and this should be acknowledged.
SANTA CRUZ, Bolivia — Pope Francis offered a direct apology on Thursday for the complicity of the Roman Catholic Church in the oppression of Latin America during the colonial era, even as he called for a global social movement to shatter a “new colonialism” that has fostered inequality, materialism and the exploitation of the poor.
Most people have no idea just how horrible the church was in Latin America, and how strong the backlash against them was in some places, particularly Mexico. They were bad actors and this should be acknowledged.
Also, Too, At Movies
Put your damn phones away.
Last I was at the theatre in NYC, a young woman was facetiming her boyfriend. Yes it was before the show, not during, but still. Don't do that. Ugh.
Last I was at the theatre in NYC, a young woman was facetiming her boyfriend. Yes it was before the show, not during, but still. Don't do that. Ugh.
Thursday, July 09, 2015
Random Thought
It never occurred to me that there could possibly be a somewhat successful anti-Confederate flag campaign. Especially as it hasn't even been much of a campaign, just a thing which happened in response to horrible events.
A Winning Message
And Jeb was supposed to be the smart one. Yes, his brother didn't hide his dufusness, but I'm pretty sure he is actually smarter.
The beatings will continue, you lazy fucks who didn't win the lucky sperm lottery.
Today, Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush, who as of-late has gone relatively gaffe-free, uttered a phrase that may not go over too well with the constituency he seeks to reach. During an interview that was live-streamed on the app Periscope, Bush told New Hampshire's "The Union Leader" that to grow the economy, "people should work longer hours."
The beatings will continue, you lazy fucks who didn't win the lucky sperm lottery.
Trumped
It's always fun when Republicans get upset because one of their own says what they all think and say, just with a bit less refinement. Trump's views are perfectly mainstream Republican, he just chews the scenery a bit more than is appropriate.
And the press generally focuses too much on the theater and not on the actual policies. Policies matter much more. Trump is an asshole, but he's really a typical Republican asshole, with just a bit more asshole.
And the press generally focuses too much on the theater and not on the actual policies. Policies matter much more. Trump is an asshole, but he's really a typical Republican asshole, with just a bit more asshole.
We've Made Nice With Everybody Else
I guess maybe not Iran or North Korea, but the ridiculousness of our anti-Cuba policies for so many years is, well, ridiculous. That we are BFFs with Saudi Arabia pretty much nullifies any "human rights" justification for anything we do, but more than that nobody know what the supposed "goals" of our Cuba stance is anymore. Notionally left wing governments are EEEEEVUUUHHHL and notionally right wing governments are just awesome, no matter what they do.
I've been to Cuba (legally). It ain't paradise, but its flaws mostly aren't how they're portrayed here. I've long been "amused" that Castro's treatment of gay Cubans was held up as evidence of his evilness. Yes he was horrible in the early days of the AIDS crisis, as we were. When I was there it was Pride in Havana and and rainbow flags were everywhere.
Anyway, my point isn't to defend Fidel Castro-era Cuba, or even Cuba now. It's just that whatever its flaws, we're good buddies with plenty of countries that obviously have bigger flaws.
I've been to Cuba (legally). It ain't paradise, but its flaws mostly aren't how they're portrayed here. I've long been "amused" that Castro's treatment of gay Cubans was held up as evidence of his evilness. Yes he was horrible in the early days of the AIDS crisis, as we were. When I was there it was Pride in Havana and and rainbow flags were everywhere.
Anyway, my point isn't to defend Fidel Castro-era Cuba, or even Cuba now. It's just that whatever its flaws, we're good buddies with plenty of countries that obviously have bigger flaws.
Wednesday, July 08, 2015
Cunning Plans
Yes I'm sure a ferris wheel and an outlet mall are just the ticket.
The rendering makes clear just why it will be a miserable failure. Visit the wheel! And, uh, nothing else! That even actual New Yorkers don't understand what makes a place desirable to visitors is unsurprising and sad.
And yet the problem persists — how to get tourists to venture out onto Staten Island and not take the next ferry right back to Manhattan.
Now, New York City officials believe they have found the answer: a gigantic wheel.
The rendering makes clear just why it will be a miserable failure. Visit the wheel! And, uh, nothing else! That even actual New Yorkers don't understand what makes a place desirable to visitors is unsurprising and sad.
The World's Worst Humans
Leonid Bershidsky
The far-left political forces were outside the London process in 1953; they were in the GDR. Now, far-left Syriza wants to be on the inside, with its plans to nationalize banks and utilities and its costly promises to voters. It will use the debt relief to provide free electricity to households, subsidize rents, restore Christmas bonuses to pensioners, raise minimum salaries -- that is, to return to the practices that led to the accumulation of Greece's debt. It is an extreme case of moral hazard, which the post-war German governments conscientiously avoided.
Of course there are political arguments for Greek debt relief, as there were in the German case 62 years ago. European leaders are worried that Greece might leave the euro zone and trigger its disintegration. It might be less costly to write off some of the debt than to deal with such dire consequences of a tougher stand. Then, however, the problem should be framed in these stark terms: Greece's creditors would be paying ransom to its far-left government so it doesn't mess up the common currency, which Greece had no business adopting in the first place.
Unsustainable
A few years ago I was on retirement savings panel at a conference. My designated role was to be the "MOOOOAR SOCIAL SECURITY" guy because of course. But the point I was trying to make to the more private savings folks was...how do you expect people to start their careers with a hundred thousand dollars in debt, and then save for a downpayment, and then save for retirement. This is unpossible even with high paying jobs, which most people don't have. It's true that the magic of compound interest works really well if you start saving at age 21 and continue until retirement, but it's also true that it's stupid to save if investment returns are lower than the interest rates on the absurd amount of debt that you were supposed to rack up to enter civilized life. Really no one should go into this much debt to go to college, but The Kids Today don't even have the option of cheap public universities like The Kids In My Day did. They're cheaper then private schools, but not by much.
Those who mock The Kids Today enrage me. Us olds had access to cheap public universities and we took that away from them. Also, too, gave them a shitty job market. Still let's laugh about their beards and their tattoos and their ipods and their hippity hop and how lazy they are! Silly Kids Today. So lazy. Such silly interests. And all that debt! So irresponsible.
Democratic presidential hopeful Martin O’Malley plans Wednesday to put forward an ambitious five-year goal of allowing students to graduate debt-free from public colleges and universities across the country.
The proposition is deeply personal for O’Malley: Aides say he and his wife have already incurred $339,200 in loans to put the two eldest of their four children through private universities. And college affordability was a leading priority for O’Malley during his tenure as Maryland’s governor.
Those who mock The Kids Today enrage me. Us olds had access to cheap public universities and we took that away from them. Also, too, gave them a shitty job market. Still let's laugh about their beards and their tattoos and their ipods and their hippity hop and how lazy they are! Silly Kids Today. So lazy. Such silly interests. And all that debt! So irresponsible.
Dick Move, Magnum
This is not ok.
Actor Tom Selleck had truckloads of water from a public hydrant delivered to his sprawling Hidden Valley ranch, according to court documents filed against the veteran actor by a Ventura County water district.
The Calleguas Municipal Water District said in a complaint filed Monday in Ventura County Superior Court that on more than a dozen occasions since 2013, a white truck filled up at a Thousand Oaks hydrant and hauled the water to Selleck’s 60-acre ranch in Westlake Village.
Late Capitalism
All about rent seeking. Tribe Econ oddly quiet about this stuff, even though when I was in grad school rent seeking was EVIL. I guess it depends on who is doing it.
But They're The Most Responsible Country The World Has Ever Known
Stop harshing their mellow, dude.
It shows Hermann Josef Abs, head of the Federal Republic of Germany’s delegation in London on Feb. 27, 1953, signing the agreement that effectively cut the country’s debts to its foreign creditors in half.
It is an image that still resonates today. To critics of Germany’s insistence that Athens must agree to more painful austerity before any sort of debt relief can be put on the table, it serves as a blunt retort: The main creditor demanding that Greeks be made to pay for past profligacy benefited not so long ago from more lenient terms than it is now prepared to offer.
But beyond serving as a reminder of German hypocrisy, the image offers a more important lesson: These sorts of things have been dealt with successfully before.
Tuesday, July 07, 2015
Sometimes It's Best To Shut Your Piehole
I like very much that the whole "mansplaining" concept and term was introduced to the world. I don't think I'm really a mansplainer - I don't actually think the ladies always need my sage knowledge - but I do get that sometimes I engage in discussion in a style which can probably be seen that way. I used to teach, so sometimes I go into "teacher mode," and like many people I can be a blowhard knowitall at times which isn't actually the same thing as mansplaining, but it can seem very much the same.
Still that there's a word and a concept makes me aware of the possibility, and I'm just a bit less likely to do it. Sometimes I do shut my piehole and let the ladies talk. Amazingly, they can have smart things to say! Hard to believe, but true.
Still that there's a word and a concept makes me aware of the possibility, and I'm just a bit less likely to do it. Sometimes I do shut my piehole and let the ladies talk. Amazingly, they can have smart things to say! Hard to believe, but true.
Drumming On The Walls
Funny.
Thrush tries to pull rank on Digby. Hilarious. I've long been amused when they get their panties in a twist because people actually read their stuff and dare to think they might be influential? Would they prefer that they were completely inconsequential? Villagers are so weird.
Thrush tries to pull rank on Digby. Hilarious. I've long been amused when they get their panties in a twist because people actually read their stuff and dare to think they might be influential? Would they prefer that they were completely inconsequential? Villagers are so weird.
Choices
We've let transportation infrastructure degrade in the past. If we're going to do it again, we should do it by choice, not by random attrition.
Success Stories
I get annoyed when people talk about the legal constraints that central banks face because "do whatever the fuck they want just call it an emergency" seems to govern their actual behavior when necessary. Greece is a tiny part of the Eurozone. The ECB could have taken over their debts without causing inflation. They could've mailed giant checks to every citizen of Greece without causing inflation. They could have made the lives of actual people infinitely better at essentially no cost.
But Teh Moral Hazard!!! The only moral hazard issue we see these days is that big banks lend without fear of default, knowing well that they - not the people - will be bailed out. Both could be bailed out, of course, but apparently that's not an option. Because serving the people is not what these institutions are for.
But Teh Moral Hazard!!! The only moral hazard issue we see these days is that big banks lend without fear of default, knowing well that they - not the people - will be bailed out. Both could be bailed out, of course, but apparently that's not an option. Because serving the people is not what these institutions are for.
Germany Is The Most Responsible Country In The World
Germany has been involved in some unpleasantness which I'm generally willing to overlook, but that doesn't give them license to create myths about their more recent existence.
I've long been a bit amused by the fact that Tribe Econ tends to idolize Germany and also ignore the reasons for success. Just how does a generous welfare state high wage country achieve success in exporting high value manufacturing goods? Unpossible! Something something German character or something. I don't know.
I've long been a bit amused by the fact that Tribe Econ tends to idolize Germany and also ignore the reasons for success. Just how does a generous welfare state high wage country achieve success in exporting high value manufacturing goods? Unpossible! Something something German character or something. I don't know.
Monday, July 06, 2015
Extremist Parties
NYT:
The choice for leaders of Germany, France and the rest of Europe will look something like this:
If they tolerate the Greek government’s demands, they will be setting a bad example for every other country that might wish to challenge the strictures of the European Union, telling voters in Portugal and Spain and Italy that if they make enough fuss, and elect extremist parties, they too will get a much sweeter deal. It would send the signal that a country can borrow all it likes, walk away from those debts and make the rest of Europe pay the bill, as long as it is intransigent enough."Borrow all it likes, walk away."
Kickstart Tom Tomorrow
One weird thing about this sucky blogging thing is that because of it I ended up meeting a lot of cool people over the years, some of whom were my heroes long before I did the sucky blogging. I've known Dan for what seems like a million years now. He snuck me into the Jimmy Carter skybox at the 2004 DNC!
He wants to provide you with all of Tom Tomorrow. Consider helping.
He wants to provide you with all of Tom Tomorrow. Consider helping.
The Man Can't Tie His Own Shoes
Dear Greece, if there's anybody you should be ignoring more than you should be ignoring Fred Hiatt and the gang, it's George Osborne.
He's Always Welcome To Be A Guest Blogger At Eschaton World Industries
This seems like a dumb idea. Unless they all behead themselves I don't think the powers that be in Yurp will find anything to be mollifying.
In another extraordinary development the Greek finance minister has just announced his resignation.
In a move likely to spark further concerns about the role of other European leaders in Greece’s internal politics, Varoufakis said he was made aware of a preference by “some European participants” of his absence throughout the continuing negotiations.
USA USA USA
Hey we won something!
The United States' 5-2 victory Sunday over the defending champion in Vancouver, British Columbia, gave the Americans their first opportunity to lift the World Cup trophy since 1999.
Sunday, July 05, 2015
Above My Pay Grade
I don't claim to know what's "right" for Greece, I just do know that there's been a slow motion coup by the banksters with Greece as one of their many trial sites. Perhaps giving in would be better for their citizens. Perhaps not giving in is better for everybody.
Not Going To Click Through
But based on this, there's literally no conservative who can't get a fawning profile in the NYT or WaPo.
What's It All About Then
That austerity isn't looking good to everybody.
I'm not sure this even makes sense to me, but...
German business daily Handelsblatt is reporting comments from Jens Weidmann, Germany's central bank chief, who has privately told the government a Grexit will decimate the country's budget.
I'm not sure this even makes sense to me, but...
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