Saturday, April 30, 2016
The Dream Will Never Die
I'm pretty sure the people at the Post will never give up on their attempts to destroy Social Security.
Saturday
All out of hot takes at the moment. Things are afoot in Iraq. I suppose we can check back in another 6 months.
BAGHDAD — Protesters stormed Iraq’s parliament on Saturday, bursting into the capital’s fortified Green Zone, where other key buildings, including the U.S. Embassy, are located.
Live footage on Iraqi television showed swarms of protesters, who have been demanding government reform, inside the parliament building, waving flags and chanting. Lawmakers were berated and beaten with flags as they fled the building, while demonstrators smashed the windows of politicians' cars.
Friday, April 29, 2016
Try Before You Buy... Then Buy
I make a point of buying any music I intend to listen to more than a couple of times. Sure I use Spotify or similar to sample things, but if there's something I plan on returning to I buy it. If I'm going to a show I buy the CD at the show (if I don't already own it) because presumably that puts the most money in the pockets of the band. The discovery aspect of the streaming internet is great, but it really isn't a revenue generator for artists. Buy their music if you listen to it. $10-$15 bucks for an album isn't much.
Ya, ya, the kids on our lawns today don't make music that's as awesome as whatever music you happened to listen to when you were 16. That's the way the world works. But if you do listen to new stuff, especially, pay for it. The non-Bieber kids today aren't making any money, either.
Ya, ya, the kids on our lawns today don't make music that's as awesome as whatever music you happened to listen to when you were 16. That's the way the world works. But if you do listen to new stuff, especially, pay for it. The non-Bieber kids today aren't making any money, either.
Boo
I don't think it's wrong to open up public parks for some commercial activities (and this park normally has a hamburger stand), or occasionally requiring admission for some special event, but walling it off and making it admission fee only every night for 6-7 weeks is a bit much.
To Sleep, Perchance..
Been plagued by insomnia recently. More specifically, waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to get back to sleep for a couple of hours. Fortunately I am blessed and can usually just sleep in, but it's still annoying.
Thursday, April 28, 2016
BREAKING
One of my longstanding internet pet peeves is the desire by so many people to label news as BREAKING. It used to be on blogs but now it's twitter too. I probably saw your BREAKING news two hours ago. If you are the one actually breaking the news you can use the label, otherwise just stop it. I used to only half jokingly plea with Markos to have his site automatically delete the account of any diarist who put BREAKING in the title. News is almost by definition new, but most of it isn't BREAKING.
Casinos and Megamalls
Chris Christie has been the best 1980s New Jersey governor.
Entering the fifth year since Triple Five took over the Mills Mall, it has rebranded it as a retail, entertainment and Dreamworks amusement park, but the scarcity of hardhats on-site has local officials questioning whether the $3.1 billion project is on hold.
In 2011, as Bruce Springsteen's "The Rising" blared at the sports complex, Gov. Chris Christie posed with tradesmen in union tees, promising the 2.9-million-square-foot project would break ground and put thousands of construction workers back to work within a year. In the past three years, the only part of the "million dollars a day," which Triple Five stated they would spend in work on-site, seems to be for architects, planners and engineers. Additionally, Triple Five recently announced that the $675 million in bonds, which East Rutherford has yet to issue to subsidize part of the $2 billion needed to complete the project, would not be for sale until early summer.
The Rot At The Top
Too often in academia, horrible people keep getting promoted because it's the easiest way to get "rid" of them (away from you, anyway). People are happy to write glowing recommendation letters for people they hate as long as it sends them to another institution. Still this is pretty brazen.
University of California President Janet Napolitano placed UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi on administrative leave Wednesday night and ordered a probe into “serious questions” raised about her involvement in campus jobs for family members, possible misuse of student service fee revenue and misstatements about her role in social media contracts.
As Long As You Apologized
Also, gonna take all these people hostage. Your fault if they lose their livelihoods.
WOLFSBURG, Germany — The chief executive of Volkswagen said on Thursday that he personally apologized to President Obama this week for cheating on vehicle emissions tests, while making what amounted to a plea for mercy as the German carmaker negotiates penalties with United States officials.
...
“I used the opportunity to personally apologize to him for our behavior,” Mr. Müller said during a news conference in Wolfsburg on Thursday. “I thanked him for the constructive cooperation with his officials. Of course I also expressed the hope that I will be able to continue to fulfill my responsibility to 600,000 employees and their families as well as suppliers and dealers.”
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
Wednesday Night
While walking around South Philly yesterday, I saw an old dude wearing one of those "FREEDOM ISN'T FREE" t-shirts with the big flag and pissed off eagle that were all the rage when the Warbloggers ruled the country. Gave me PTSD.
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