Thursday, March 24, 2011
How the Fed's stimulus program really works
Here's the best explanation yet of how the Fed's QE2 program actually works. Start on bottom right (QE2 Crank) and move left and then up. ... From the amazing William Banzei7 Blog, which has lots and lots more fun economic stuff.
Here's the best explanation yet of how the Fed's QE2 program actually works. Start on bottom right (QE2 Crank) and move left and then up. ... From the amazing William Banzei7 Blog, which has lots and lots more fun economic stuff.
Sunday, March 06, 2011
St. Lori and those bad buys
Reading this puff piece about Lori Berenson in the Times, I kept thinking: “When are they going to be honest with the readers and tell us she’s a run-of-the mill lefty who got caught up with a bunch of crazy Marxists?” It took until the halfway mark for the first hint of what her “politics” and “another kind of religion” might be, i.e. she was involved with Marxist revolutionary and/or terrorist groups both in both El Salvador and Peru. But those associations are soft-peddled, of course, because, you see, the saintly and stoic Berenson didn’t know about their violent intentions and she was sincere and she so cares about social and economic justice and … I’ve often defended the MSM as not being nearly as politically biased as conservatives claim. I still don’t think it’s as biased as conservatives claim. But then you see a air-brushed profile like this and you want to duck for argumentative cover.
Reading this puff piece about Lori Berenson in the Times, I kept thinking: “When are they going to be honest with the readers and tell us she’s a run-of-the mill lefty who got caught up with a bunch of crazy Marxists?” It took until the halfway mark for the first hint of what her “politics” and “another kind of religion” might be, i.e. she was involved with Marxist revolutionary and/or terrorist groups both in both El Salvador and Peru. But those associations are soft-peddled, of course, because, you see, the saintly and stoic Berenson didn’t know about their violent intentions and she was sincere and she so cares about social and economic justice and … I’ve often defended the MSM as not being nearly as politically biased as conservatives claim. I still don’t think it’s as biased as conservatives claim. But then you see a air-brushed profile like this and you want to duck for argumentative cover.
Mitt Romney’s rocky campaign start
Mitt unofficially launched his second presidential campaign yesterday, gaining front-page coverage in the NYT and Herald this morning.
Normally, a candidate would love such coverage of an early-campaign event. But the focus is on Mitt’s attempt to refocus attention away from his negatives, i.e. his support of the Massachusetts health-care reform law and the perception he’s not authentic. Throw in negative coverage of his I-know-how-to-create-jobs theme and you have even more trouble.
The only way Hub Blog sees Mitt winning the GOP nomination is if he becomes the de facto firewall-candidate for a Republican establishment terrified of a Palin or Palin-like candidacy.
Mitt unofficially launched his second presidential campaign yesterday, gaining front-page coverage in the NYT and Herald this morning.
Normally, a candidate would love such coverage of an early-campaign event. But the focus is on Mitt’s attempt to refocus attention away from his negatives, i.e. his support of the Massachusetts health-care reform law and the perception he’s not authentic. Throw in negative coverage of his I-know-how-to-create-jobs theme and you have even more trouble.
The only way Hub Blog sees Mitt winning the GOP nomination is if he becomes the de facto firewall-candidate for a Republican establishment terrified of a Palin or Palin-like candidacy.
Thursday, March 03, 2011
Charlie Sheen: It’s got to be a hoax
Sheen’s meltdown is so complete and perfect, I can’t get out of my mind the possibility he’s pulling a Joaquin Phoenix. At the least, he can later claim he pulled a Joaquin Phoenix, as part of his inevitable public rehab, assuming he doesn’t die before getting back into rehab. It may be his last hope. … Tiger blood. It’s instantly become part of the American pop lexicon.
The Glenn Beck connect-the-dots evidence of a Charlie and Joaquin connection: 1.) Both alleged meltdowns started exactly a year apart from each other -- Joaquin’s last February, Charlie’s this February. 2.) Both involved CBS. 3.) Google ‘Charlie Sheen and Casey Affleck’ and you get 277,000 results. 4.) Google ‘Charlie Sheen and George Soros’ and you get 392,000 results. 5.) Google ‘Charlie Sheen and Van Jones’ and you get … 1,400,000 results – including this and this. Starting to see a pattern? What’s wrong with this picture? 9/11 Truthers, baby. That’s what we’re talking about. …
Sheen’s meltdown is so complete and perfect, I can’t get out of my mind the possibility he’s pulling a Joaquin Phoenix. At the least, he can later claim he pulled a Joaquin Phoenix, as part of his inevitable public rehab, assuming he doesn’t die before getting back into rehab. It may be his last hope. … Tiger blood. It’s instantly become part of the American pop lexicon.
The Glenn Beck connect-the-dots evidence of a Charlie and Joaquin connection: 1.) Both alleged meltdowns started exactly a year apart from each other -- Joaquin’s last February, Charlie’s this February. 2.) Both involved CBS. 3.) Google ‘Charlie Sheen and Casey Affleck’ and you get 277,000 results. 4.) Google ‘Charlie Sheen and George Soros’ and you get 392,000 results. 5.) Google ‘Charlie Sheen and Van Jones’ and you get … 1,400,000 results – including this and this. Starting to see a pattern? What’s wrong with this picture? 9/11 Truthers, baby. That’s what we’re talking about. …
