Protest sign shown on the front page of CNN. So much stupidity compressed into one little space. Who is "we"? Americans? Christians? Jews? Is the WTC cite really the equivalent of "Mecca" for "us?" Does our religion center around the financial center of New York City? Is our religion or nationality defined by a symbol of violent aggression and terrorism? Is that our "Mecca"? After all the criticism leveled against Islamic nations, are we saying that our religious tolerance will be defi...

According to this article, Obama's "pay czar" Feinberg, who was also tapped to manage the BP fund, has decided not to press the issue on recouping executive bonuses at bailed-out institutions. (Link) The article is a bucket full of WTF, with choice bits like: "I'm not suggesting we should blink or turn the other cheek," Feinberg said in an interview with the Associated Press. "These 17 companies were singled out for obviously bad behavior. The question is: At what point are you piling on and ...

From the SEC PR: Robert Khuzami, Director of the SEC's Division of Enforcement "This settlement is a stark lesson to Wall Street firms that no product is too complex, and no investor too sophisticated, to avoid a heavy price if a firm violates the fundamental principles of honest treatment and fair dealing." (Link) -------------- I think the lessons learned by the banksters are quite different: 1) The price for fraud is small. (GS probably spends more than $500M on call girls annually.) 2...

In light of the publicity surrounding recent unpleasant events, the titans of industry who drive the economic dynamo that is British Petroleum should take a long, introspective look at how they could better serve the interests of the public and their shareholders. While the bully pulpit simply *cannot* be used by Democrats, Congress certainly has the power to request more introspection from BP execs. We should really take Congress to task for not requesting public introspection from BP manageme...

Takeru Kobayashi was arrested at Coney Island after his rival, Joey Chestnut, won the annual Nathan's International Hot Dog Eating Contest. The six-time champion of the contest was trying to make his way on stage after this year's event, according to a representative for Kobayashi and a New York police officer at the Brooklyn precinct booking desk. In the days leading up to the event, Kobayashi said he loves the contest and he wanted to participate, but that the contract was too restrictive. S...

Very few people actually want Obama to scream and fuss about BP. (At least very few of his serious supporters do.) On the other hand, I (and I think many others) *would* like to see Obama using this unprecedented disaster to push home: 1) Corporate accountability. Corporate negligence will result in jailed executives. Period. Rich, white men (or any other execs) do not have special diplomatic status in this country. 2) A serious kick for alternative energy. It's time for some *serious*, ...

who caused the massive environmental disaster through their greed and negligence? When will he use this golden opportunity to set America firmly and permanently on the path to energy independence? (The drilling moratorium is a nice, small, temporary start, IMO.)

McCain: I think it’s a responsibility, in this respect, in that we should have available and affordable health care to every American citizen, to every family member. … But government mandates I — I’m always a little nervous about. But it is certainly my responsibility. Obama: I think it should be a right for every American. … for my mother to die of cancer at the age of 53 and have to spend the last months of her life in the hospital room arguing with insurance companies because they’re sayin...

We're playing football, but the wealthy and powerful are playing chess. We focus on stopping Sarah Palin or Mitt Romney (who are stylishly-shaped and empty, like footballs) from getting to the end zone while the rest of the opposition runs right by us. During the HCR debacle, we found out who *really* runs this country, and it is not the far left or the far right. It is not "independent voters." We *all* got screwed by the power brokers who have a single concern: consolidating and increasin...

Look, we agree that talented, productive people are important to a society. They should be encouraged, and hopefully they're human enough to work for society's good. Beyond that, many of you are insane. Who are your heroes? The "titans of industry?" You think that CEOs are really so much more talented and hard-working that they deserve thousands of times the wealth, or more, than their employees? Objectivists believe in evolution, and reality tells us that viruses evolve just as we do. Yo...

From a CNN article today: (Link) ------------- "Some more conservative-leaning Democrats also express concerns that it could be too much government involvement and could put private insurers out of business through unfair competition." ------------- Did you read that? Oh, no, it might not be "fair" to let the government offer a public option, because the corporations might fail at their own game if they have to compete with gov't option that, you know, prioritizes its customers over profits. ...

Remember Cerberus Capital, the investment firm heavy with GOP insiders (e.g., Snow, Quayle) at the top? (Link) Apparently GOP political influence wasn't enough to make big money. I wonder who the big investors were? Via Zero Hedge and WSJ: Cerberus Capital Management's investors overwhelmingly want out of the firm's core hedge funds, asking for the return of more than $5.5 billion, or almost 71% of the fund assets, according to people familiar with the matter. Mr. Feinberg has person...

Aug. 10 (Bloomberg) -- Pequot Capital Management Inc., once the world’s biggest hedge-fund manager, was cited in at least 44 private reports from exchange watchdogs in the past four years alerting U.S. regulators to potential insider trading, market manipulation or other misconduct, government documents show. Trades linked to Google Inc., Cox Communications Inc., International Securities Holdings Inc., Premcor Inc. and dozens of other companies prompted surveillance units policing U.S. exchange...

Years ago, during the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal, Rush Limbaugh was in the forefront of those criticizing Clinton because -- he said then -- honesty and integrity, even in small matters, were essential for the effective functioning of such a high political office. This week, while the press was exposing governor Sanford's scandalous affair, Rush Limbaugh... blamed Obama for pushing Sanford into it. At what point does Rush's hypocrisy start to reflect badly on his supporters? (Does Rush have any ...

The more I think about the corporatist suggestion to "save $2 Trillion" by cutting health care costs (read: cutting benefits), the more outraged I become. Enough of this insanity. I think we've reached a critical mass where enough people see through this bullshit to make some changes. From here on out, if you are taking from the public till to build up your fortune, you are filth. You are a swine. (That's just my take; pick your own epithets.) If you loot your shareholders and the capital ...

Yet more attacks on Colin Powell from the Cheney/Limbaugh wing of the GOP (via CNN: (Link)/). "My take on it was Colin had already left the party," Cheney said. "I didn't know he was still a Republican." The former vice president noted that Powell endorsed then-Sen. Barack Obama in last year's presidential race. "I assume that that's some indication of his loyalty and his interests," Cheney said. Why do these guys keep pushing on someone they've already dismissed as irrelevant? Here's two po...

Now that Rush Limbaugh and Michael Steele are having a public feud (they'll kiss and make up before the next election, of course), one wonders... Remember when Rush said that Colin Powell's endorsement of Obama was , essentially because Powell was African-American, and therefore couldn't be trusted when he endorsed another African-American? There's a fair chance the Republican party will be fielding African-American candidates at the local, state, and perhaps even national level in future elec...

In <(Link)>, I rattled on about a disturbing political trend of valuing the lives (or well-being) of foreigners as less important than our own. Now let's talk about religion. It's not surprising that religious perspectives are so closely related to political stances on such matters of "foreign relations." Open a Bible, read a few pages, and you'll be smack-dab in the middle of the argument. Some Christians contrast the "Israel-centric" nature of the Old Testament with the "universal" aud...

that your fund managers may withhold your own invested money to pay for their legal bills if you try to sue them for mis-managing your money? The Bent family, which runs The Reserve, is being sued by investors and is also being investigated by the SEC. In response, The Reserve has said that they will hold on to a sizable chunk of investors' money to pay for their own legal fees. If investors sue The Reserve, they will have to pay for legal costs (and possibly punishments) on both sides! The ...

Thinking lately (prompted by recent news) about what's at stake in this election... The "Bush Doctrine" essentially asserts (in its various forms) that America has the right to attack another country if it thinks that country is harboring a threat to the USA. Recently, troubling news stories (barely reported in American media) have come to light indicating that the US has been launching attacks inside Syria and Pakistan. In defense of its actions, the White House has said little to nothing subs...

From Politico's Playbook for October 26th: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), top McCain adviser, on why he would have preferred Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) for V.P.: "I was pushing Joe because it would transcend politics as we know it -- two people who put country ahead of party." Hmm, interesting. That "Country First" campaign slogan, which is so awkward for the McCain/Palin campaign, makes a bit more sense for a McCain/Lieberman ticket. Instead of sounding like some arbitrary nationalist slog...

Frankly, I think the recent NYT article questioning Palin's religious views has a lot of speculation and not much detail. I think there are much better questions to ask about her religious background/views, and even if she is a regular ol' evangelical, I think her answers would raise eyebrows. (I lived among the evangelicals for some time... it seems like a lot of reporters don't really know much about evangelicalism.) Here's what I want to know. Broadly: Do you believe that an Executive sho...

(I haven't told anyone until now because I didn't want them to change it.) When they start up the McCain campaign machinery for another run in 2016, they may want to reconsider it though. Here's a few reasons why. 1) Your campaign slogan should not evoke nationalism. Lots of people associate it with militarism, unchecked governmental abuse, and ethnic intolerance. 2) Your slogan should not contradict your actions on the campaign trail. For example, if you choose a VP candidate who is almost u...

Drudge kicked off the "race-based endorsement" meme this morning with the bold headline "Powell for Obama: It's Not About Race." Drudge is obviously asking, "Was it about race?" And according to a story posted on Politico today, Rush Limbaugh has directly dismissed Colin Powell's endorsement of Obama as being influenced by race. "Secretary Powell says his endorsement is not about race," Limbaugh wrote in an e-mail. "OK, fine. I am now researching his past endorsements to see if I can find all t...

In the New York Times, Warren Buffett says he's buying American stocks, and he urges others to do the same. His argument for this recommendation is rather vague, saying that over time, stocks will go up, and the time to buy is when everyone is afraid. (Frankly, I think everyone has been afraid for some time now.) Buffett's statement doesn't sit well with some folks, who point out that he has much to gain from improved investor confidence. He's already heavily invested in stocks, and therefore so...

Bilinda Straight writes about "Killing God" in the latest volume of Current Anthropology. In this case, the "god" was a Kenyan divinity named Nkai. In 1935, an Anglican missionary, Charles Scudder, fired his gun into the cave where Nkai was believed to reside. Nkai was thought to have been vanquished, and the worship of Nkai ended at that site. Straight also recounts tales of John Williams, a British missionary to Tahiti and the Society Islands. Williams gathered the sacred relics and "gods" of...