Heading out shortly to Durham, NC for a jazzy evening at the Jane Monheit concert there tonight at the Carolina Theatre.
When dealing with troubled times, it’s best to just follow Irving Berlin’s advice:
“Let’s Face the Music and Dance.”
Even when, as Schwartz and Dietz wrote, we we feel we are “Dancing in the Dark”:
Filed under Music, Uncategorized
I do love it when a Nobel Prize-winning Economist says the same things I do….
Or rather, when my thoughts I align with his….
Since I only took 2 semesters of Econ at Washington and Lee, I can hardly claim to be an expert….
Except in common sense….
Please take the time to read Paul Krugman’s article in the New York Times.
Here is a brief excerpt and a link to the full article:
So what do we learn from the rather pathetic search for austerity success stories? We learn that the doctrine that has dominated elite economic discourse for the past three years is wrong on all fronts. Not only have we been ruled by fear of nonexistent threats, we’ve been promised rewards that haven’t arrived and never will. It’s time to put the deficit obsession aside and get back to dealing with the real problem — namely, unacceptably high unemployment.
Filed under Politics, Uncategorized
God, I hope so…
There are few companies more justifiably hated than Time Warner. Their combination of outrageously poor customer service, ridiculous prices, poor quality signals, lack of responsiveness, and sheer arrogance is astounding.
And they and Comcast and a few others get away with it because they have a defacto monopoly in so many communities- thanks to their bought and paid for friends in Washington, as well as Raleigh and most other state capitols.
And let’s not even talk about how much better and cheaper internet, cable tv and phone service is in Europe and other parts of the world. That conversation always makes a few right wing heads explode as they are incapable of recognizing the fact that things aren’t always done best in the USA
Great article from AmericaBlog on what a little competition can do:
The Consumerist has an interesting story about this, and other similar stories seem to be popping up. Google Fiber is a new fiber optic Internet service, along with cable TV, that Google is building, with it’s first test cases in Missouri and Kansas. Google is offering multiple tiers of service, including a free level. It sounds rather amazing. And it seems that suddenly Time Warner Cable has found it in its heart to drop its prices significantly in the areas where Google Fiber is operating. Imagine that.
As it stands today, Americans pay outrageously high prices for Internet services, yet they still receive low quality. Overseas the competition is much greater, as is the internet speed — and our prices are MUCH lower than what you pay in the states for less service.
Thanks to plenty of friends in Washington, DC, American Internet Service Providers (ISPs, aka the Comcasts of the world) have mostly been able to get away with this lousy deal for consumers, but this may be changing. Unfortunately, Google Fiber is only present in Kansas City today, so the reports of pricing and quality are only there. Secondly, Google Fiber itself is pretty darned expensive.
As I’ve mentioned before, in “socialist” France we have numerous options all around €30 per month, that include high speed internet (including fiber optic, which I have), phone calls around the world at no additional charge and more TV channels than most will ever watch. Other countries in Europe have similar 3-pack deals and Asia reportedly has even better internet connectivity.
As much as the US is the center of the world for many things including leading internet companies, the people of the US are being ripped off with the internet services. (It’s not unlike pharmaceutical prices, which are much more expensive in the US than everywhere else.)
Computer guy via Shutterstock
Will Google Fiber drive prices down as some have experienced? Maybe. But the US still needs a lot more competition in more places to break the market apart from the stranglehold of a few players.
MORE: Is Google Fiber Internet service driving down Time Warner Cable’s prices?.
I’m so relieved to know our Justice Department has it’s priorities in order…
I’m sure they don’t have anything more pressing than this to consider…
Of course, this does impact a large portion of the population that has to drink to deal with the fact that we have a bunch of incompetents (AKA: The GOP) in Washington focusing on irrelevant issues instead of addressing the most pressing needs of the country.
Forget the Tea Party, let’s start the Beer Party!
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department on Thursday filed a lawsuit to stop Anheuser-Busch InBev’s proposed $20.1 billion purchase of Mexican brewer Grupo Modelo, which would unite the ownership of popular beers like Budweiser and Corona.
The government said the deal could lead to higher beer prices in this country because it would substantially reduce competition in the U.S. beer market, particularly in 26 metropolitan areas. It said the merged firm would control nearly half the beer sales in the U.S.
In response, Anheuser-Busch InBev promised a court fight to preserve its deal.
Americans spent at least $80 billion on beer last year. ABI’s Bud Light is the best-selling beer in the nation and Modelo’s Corona Extra is the best-selling import.
via Anheuser-Busch-Grupo Modelo Merger Challenged By Justice Department.
Filed under Congress, Politics, Uncategorized
I am so tired of hearing politicians talk about the “DEFICIT” like it was the biggest threat to America since communism or some other previous excuse not to deal with real problems…
This is an entirely manufactured “crisis” and the “Conservatives” are trying to use it to kill programs they have always hated anyway- like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and VA Benefits. They are also using it as an excuse to cut federal jobs.
For example, I called the Veteran’s Administration 12 times today trying to check direct depositing my Mother’s benefits from my Father’s service. I wasn’t allowed to do it on the web because it is a Custodial situation. Each time I got a message telling me they could not take my call because of high call volumes and to call back later. It took 2 years to get the benefit application approved due to “staffing” issues- and then only with Congressional help…..Hire some people, goddammit!
This is madness….
Anyway….
I’ve had my say on this many times. We do not have any deficit problem that can’t be solved by higher employment, growth and investment in much-needed infrastructure projects. The GOP and their Democratic enablers are only making the situation worse by not addressing these core issues responsibly and intelligently.
Someone needs to break the DC bubble and it sounds like maybe, just maybe, there may be some sensibility leaking into the Capitol.
But they still have a long ways to go and need to start by not listening to the Tea Party fools and their Billionaire sponsors or the Corporate chieftains. Of course ending corporate welfare, such as subsidies to the oil companies, and making the wealthy pay their fair share by closing tax loopholes would also help…
I’ll keep hoping they will hear Paul Krugman’s voice calling from the wilderness. Meaning outside of DC and it’s suburbs…
From Yahoo Finance:
With even top Republicans such as Eric Cantor beginning to question the political wisdom of waging perpetual warfare over the deficit, it’s possible that Washington may slowly turn its attention to other, more pressing matters.What could be more urgent than deficit reduction? you may ask.My answer: Almost everything.If deficit reduction was ever urgent, it no longer is. We’ve already accomplished most of the deficit-reduction required in this decade, nearly enough to stabilize our debt, but at a great cost to current economic growth. We’ve sacrificed with high unemployment, tepid growth and underinvestment in public goods.Not to mention our inability to get anything else done while we bicker about deficits.The $16 trillion debt sounds like a terrible thing, but no one has been able to show how this high level of debt has had any negative impact on the economy or on the people so far. Has anyone come around looking for your share of it?Interest rates are very low, so the public debt isn’t crowding out private investment. The burden from interest payments is extremely low, less than half what it was when Ronald Reagan was exploding the federal budget back in the 1980s. We survived.
MORE: Five problems bigger than the national debt – Yahoo! Finance.
Filed under Congress, Politics, Uncategorized
Too bad the dog couldn’t send his owner to be euthanized for stupidity….
Good news is the dog was saved…
Bad news is there is nothing to stop someone this ignorant, cruel and heartless from getting another one…
Let’s just hope he never has a Gay child…
Excerpt from the Huffington Post with link to full story:
A Tennessee dog owner sent his pet to be euthanized because he suspected the dog was “gay.” Fortunately, the pup was later adopted.
A Jackson, Tenn., resident surrendered his “gay” dog for euthanization to the Jackson Rabies Control Animal Shelter on Jan. 29 because he saw his male pitbull/American bulldog mix “humping” another male dog, the Examiner reports.
The Huffington Post confirmed with Jackson Rabies Control, a high-kill shelter, that the dog had been surrendered because his owner believed he was “gay.”
Although animals can be gay, dogs mount each other to express dominance, for play or because of nervousness/excitement, Psychology Today notes.
A Facebook campaign was set up to try and save the “gay” dog, according to the Atlantic. A Facebook post detailing the troubling situation called for immediate action.
Filed under Pets, Uncategorized
Well, no one saw this coming….
That’s sarcasm, in case you missed it….
Anyway, congratulations to Jim Nabors!
Mayberry will never be the same….
From WBTV Charlotte:
Jim Nabors, the Hawaii resident well known for his starring role in the 1960s television sitcom “Gomer Pyle, USMC,” married his longtime male partner early this month, he told Hawaii News Now Tuesday.
Nabors, 82, said he married his companion of 38 years, Stan Cadwallader, who’s 64, in Seattle on Jan. 15.
Nabors declined an on-camera interview but spoke to Hawaii News Now by phone.
“I’m 82 and he’s in his 60s and so we’ve been together for 38 years and I’m not ashamed of people knowing, it’s just that it was such a personal thing, I didn’t tell anybody,” Nabors said. “I’m very happy that I’ve had a partner of 38 years and I feel very blessed. And, what can I tell you, I’m just very happy.”
Nabors said he and Cadwallader traveled to Washington state, where gay marriages became legal in early December 2012. They were married at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel in Seattle.
A judge performed the marriage ceremony in the privacy of their hotel room with a couple of friends who live down the street from them near Diamond Head as witnesses, Nabors said.
Before they were married, Nabors said, “It’s pretty obvious that we had no rights as a couple, yet when you’ve been together 38 years, I think something’s got to happen there, you’ve got to solidify something. And at my age, it’s probably the best thing to do.”
Filed under Broadway, Entertainment, Gay, Music, Television
Let me start by saying, I love Anne Hathaway. I find her extremely talented, likable, poised and attractive. She is one of my favorite actresses and I see everything she does.
Criticizing her is almost like kicking a kitten….
But….
I’ve never seen such a blatant Oscar campaign as the one waged on her behalf this year….
She was very good in “Les Miz”, but not great….and that’s partly the Director’s fault. Too many tight shots over blew the performances quite a bit and I was not thrilled with some of his other choices. I thought Samantha Barks and Eddie Redmayne gave the best performances in the film.
“Lincoln” was also a flawed film, but with some great performances-especially by Daniel Day Lewis. If I could vote, I wouldn’t vote for it for Best Picture either-“Argo” would be my choice. But I would surely vote for Sally Field, over the lovely Anne, for Best Supporting Actress. Ms Field was just wonderful as Mary Todd Lincoln and did the almost impossible- made me forget I was watching Sally Field.
Again, I love Anne Hathaway. Her day on the podium will come, realistically, probably in a couple of weeks. She’s definitely still the favorite.
But it should be later and for a better role and performance in a better film.
And unexpected upsets to the front runner have happened before. Ask Lauren Bacall….
Anyway, what do I know?
In any event, here is a great parody of Anne’s campaign by the very talented Emma Fitzpatrick.
Thanks to my FB friend, Chris, for first posting it for me to see….
Filed under Broadway, Entertainment, Movies, Uncategorized
Some interesting information from the Huffington Post…..
I’m interested to see how/if this trend continues….
Keep in mind, Fox News has the same problem as the GOP: Only old white people pay them any attention and that demographic is dying out. Younger people don’t watch much TV news anyway, but they certainly aren’t watching Fox.
And cheers to Rachel Maddow and the gang at MSNBC….
And, does anyone watch CNN anymore? I can remember when they did real news and I watched it almost all the time. Now I can’t take five minutes of their blathering. Well, except for Anderson Cooper and even his show is not exactly a master class in journalism anymore….
Here is an excerpt from the Huff Post article and a link to the full story:
At the end of each month, cable news ratings are released to the public. And, like clockwork, Fox News dominates the top 13 or so programs, far outstripping its competitors.
January was … a little different. To be sure, everything is relative in cable news: Fox News still had nine out of the top ten programs. It has spent 11 consecutive years as the top-rated cable news channel. Its 6 AM show drew almost double the ratings of CNN’s top-ranking prime time show.
But, as rival MSNBC was quick to point out, and BuzzFeed was quick to trumpet, Fox News had its worst primetime ratings in the coveted 25-54 demo since August 2001, and its lowest total day ratings since June 2008.
To a seasoned watcher of cable news ratings, there were other surprises. Rachel Maddow, for instance, came in 10th, beating “Studio B” and the 11 PM repeat of “The O’Reilly Factor.” In January 2012, she came in 14th. It may not seem like much, but the top of the cable news field has been extremely stable — and if Maddow were to continue creeping up the list, it would mean a real sea change. Overall, MSNBC — perhaps powered by liberal euphoria over President Obama’s inauguration — was the only cable news channel to grow its ratings from 2012.
This continues a pattern that emerged in 2012: Fox News viewers tuned out en masse from Democratic-themed events, causing the network’s ratings to plunge during the Democratic National Convention, the hours immediately following Obama’s re-election, and the president’s inauguration. MSNBC, meanwhile, benefited from the solidification of its Democratic-friendly lineup, and drew a lion’s share of eager liberal viewers.
via Fox News Ratings Hit 12-Year Demo Lows In January Cable News Figures.
Filed under Journalism, Media, News, Politics
What an absolute ass….
My experience has been that the best leaders and managers have liberal arts educations. It teaches you to think broadly, critically and to problem solve. A Liberal Arts Education has longterm benefits besides making life much more interesting and enjoyable.
Vocational education teaches specific skills that can easily become redundant as the marketplace, automation and industry moves to different phases. It’s a short term solution to immediate corporate hiring needs.
This fool may lead to my return to blogging on this site on a more regular basis….
From the News and Observer:
Gov. Pat McCrory said he would propose legislation to overhaul the way higher education is funded in North Carolina, putting the emphasis on job creation not liberal arts and taking specific aim at the state’s flagship university.
“I think some of the educational elite have taken over our education where we are offering courses that have no chance of getting people jobs,” McCrory told conservative talk show host Bill Bennett, the former education secretary for President Ronald Reagan, during an interview Tuesday morning.
McCrory echoed a crack the radio show host made at gender studies courses at UNC-Chapel Hill, a top tier public university. “That’s a subsidized course,” McCrory said, picking up the argument. “If you want to take gender studies that’s fine, go to a private school and take it. But I don’t want to subsidize that if that’s not going to get someone a job.”
The Republican governor said he instructed his staff Monday to draft legislation that would change how much state money universities and community colleges receive “not based on how many butts in seats but how many of those butts can get jobs.”
McCrory wants to revamp higher ed funding — takes aim at UNC-Chapel Hill | newsobserver.com projects.
Filed under Education, North Carolina
Lost in the 21st Century 