October 2011
44 posts
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Debit Card Fees Are Robbery →
A little history from Lloyd Constantine.
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The Percentages: A Biography of Class →
Sady Doyle’s terrific personal history of class and, eventually, her relationship with “the 99 percent.”
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“I say this in every article, but here it is again: money is inherently useless....”
– Adam Cadre, in a somewhat abstract response to that Elizabeth Warren quote
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“What do you do with a degree in Agriculture after five years of study? Here is a viable business option for the smart: go into the business of terrorism, it pays better.” A report from one conversation in Nigeria.
(via Global Voices Online)
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“Over the past few years we’ve shifted hours away from work and largely towards...”
– Sarah Kliff, summarizing a study titled “Time Use During Recessions.” Another finding: men have more leisure time, women have less.
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New Technologies Redraw the World’s Energy Picture →
Advances in technology are giving entirely new populations the opportunity to be exploited for the sake of sustaining a globally toxic fuel economy. Congratulations!
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Tumblr spam is out of hand. I don’t even have to deal with it much these days, but I think it’s pretty sad when, say, this post has 39 “notes” but only one of them is from an actual person.
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“I can’t help but think that the American economy has performed sluggishly ever...”
– Matthew Yglesias
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The Madman In the Woods: Mental Illness As... →
s.e. smith on violent behavior and “crazy people” in the economic context of drug production in Northern California.
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A new walking code of conduct: 10 proposed rules... →
Robert Selsam: “All the attention to and fuss over bike lanes has obscured a bigger issue affecting the public rights of way, namely the use of our sidewalks.
“Manhattan sidewalks have become so congested with tourists and locals (officials estimate a 13% increase since 2007, according to reports) that it has become increasingly difficult to rely on walking to get where you’re...
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“If my wife and I have young children but are still able to enjoy the...”
– Garret Keizer, breaking down the distinction between public-sector and private-sector unions.
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The 10 States With the Best Economies in America →
Joshua Holland: “Most people who don’t live there probably think of Iowa as an agricultural state, with miles and miles of corn and soybeans lining razor-straight highways. But that’s totally untrue. Agriculture and forestry make up less than 4 percent of Iowa’s economic output. Manufacturing represents 22 percent – almost double the national share.”
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Oh, The Lonesome Wind and Rain →
What it’s like in Haiti when the hurricane misses.
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why I actively don't want to be a tenure-track... →
I went to two small liberal arts colleges. One of them was prestigious, with professors who were highly respected in their fields and students who were the smartest peer group I’d ever had. The other was… prestigious for the midwest. The professors published less, but they taught more, and they cared about teaching. That’s the college I still care about having attended.*
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rigidmorality asked: On yr RP post: 1) Paul was not in congress in '64, so he didn't vote against it. His issue w/the '64 Act has everything to do with property rights, nothing to do w/racism. 2) Dr. RP has said abortion should be a states-rights issue. Moreover, it will NEVER EVER be federally illegal. Abortion is a wedge issue. 3) FACT: RP is better on gay rights than Obama. 4) RP suggests giving...
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5 Reasons Progressives Should Treat Ron Paul with... →
Even if you like how he’s against wars.
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How to Look Over Your Shoulder
As a cyclist who also drives, I’m often amazed by how careless I can be when I get behind the wheel of a car. I know what it’s like when some idiot opens his car door directly into the path of my bike, and I have to swerve into traffic to avoid it. Yet somehow I often open my own door without checking for bikes. What a jerk!
That’s why I get excited about ideas like this, from...
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OccupyMN Rally and Tent Setup →
OccupyMN has been negotiating with officials to be allowed to put up tents at the People’s Plaza (formerly Hennepin County Government Center Plaza), but so far to no avail, and it’s getting colder and wetter. This Saturday, unless things change, the tents come out anyway.
If you want to read or say more about this, there’s a lot of discussion happening on the OccupyMN Facebook...
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hummingnerd replied to your post: Occupying I am thinking of coming down on Friday night.
Do it! It’s the one-week celebration of the occupation, and they’re expecting a big turnout. (So I guess don’t do it if you don’t...
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Occupying
Occupy MN has most of my attention right now. I’m not sleeping over but I’ve been there for several hours each day since it started, and when I’m not there I’m talking or writing or thinking about it. Or working or eating or watching TV.
Anyway, I don’t want to turn this blog into Occupy Tumblr, but if you’re interested, I will be contributing to Occupying.
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Why Drupal Jobs sponsored TheUpTake.org's coverage... →
“This week, we made the decision to sponsor The UpTake’s coverage of Occupy Wall Street. In doing so, these capitalist entrepreneurs decided to use marketing dollars to help facilitate a better dialog about the role of capitalism in our country AND to attempt to sell more product (affordable, on-demand Drupal engineering, in our case). This week, The UpTake’s live coverage of...
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"Without Fear or Favor. NOT!" →
The right-wing origins of the modern New York Times.
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“If you’re younger than 26, you have never seen a month where the global...”
– Robert Grumbine (via Ezra Klein)
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Supreme Court May Consider Whether Companies Can... →
I’m posting this mostly because the headline made me realize: these days, when I hear the Supreme Court may consider anything, I just think “Oh, no.”
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New Downtown Bicycle Routes Opening →
This looks like an interesting ride, starting at Loring Park and proceeding through the new “advisory bike lanes” and the new Hiawatha Trail connection. I’m skeptical of, well, anything “advisory,” and I think the Hiawatha connection is deeply compromised by the lethal detour a few blocks later. But maybe I’m wrong! I’d love to be wrong! Anyway,...
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What we get wrong about Rick Perry →
Erica Greider says he’s not that dumb and he’s not that conservative. (I didn’t know he was supposed to be dumb.)
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“I’m old and slow. I don’t know if it’s a big secret, but the efficiency is...”
– Taj McWilliams-Franklin
You don’t need to know she’s talking about basketball to enjoy this quote.