Don’t call it a protest

I got onto this kick because of Bruce Weinstein’s column on the ethics of protest. Of course, from a professional standpoint, I’m much more interested in the politics of the matter. As I’ve read more about the “protests” in Denver, the more convinced I am that the whole thing is probably illegal - [...]

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Security or Freedom

West Helena, Arkansas has implemented a “24-hour curfew“. What, pray tell, is “a 24-hour curfew”? More to the point, how is a “24-hour curfew” any different than “martial law“?
Police Chief Fred Fielder said the patrols have netted 32 arrests since they began last week in a 10-block neighborhood in this small town on the [...]

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Sliding gas prices - don’t get excited

If you read this NY Times article; then you are likely to think that something magical is going on. Gas prices have been on the rise for months and suddenly - around the July 4th weekend - they reversed course. What could be going on? No hint from the NYT.
Take a look [...]

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A quick question

For everyone who says oil is overpriced due to speculation…How much is oil going to be worth the day after Christmas this year?
It depends on a lot of factors, doesn’t it? Will Iran launch its missiles against Israel? With the United States blockade Iran? With any ship be able to get through [...]

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So long, George

I’m a day or two late on this, but I couldn’t figure out what I should say. I should have known that the Maestro would have already said it:
There was an illustration on the panel that showed a triptych. On the left panel, there were these names of artistic pursuits. There were poets, painter, [...]

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Economic News: Bad to Worse

Oil prices took off today - more than $10 a barrel. See if you can spot the culprit:
Oil prices had their biggest-ever jump on Friday, after a senior Israeli politician raised the specter of an attack on Iran and the dollar fell against the euro.
The gains on Friday capped a second day of strong [...]

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No More Diddley

Bo Diddley passed away today at the age of 79.

He joins Harvey Korman and so many others who have made this ragged old world a little nicer place to inhabit for sharing their talents.

We’ll miss ya, guys.
Technorati Tags: Bo Diddley, Harvey Korman

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Oil prices and the economy

The all-too familiar news is that oil is expensive. And, of course, oil prices continue to climb. The price for light, sweet crude stopped just short of $130 a barrel. In the “DUH!!!” news of the day:
Meanwhile, the Labor Department’s producer price report indicated higher energy and food prices might be seeping [...]

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Oil is Expensive - Forever

I was glad to hear Barack Obama oppose the “gasoline tax holiday“. That is truly one of the dumbest ideas I’ve heard in some time. It isn’t that I wouldn’t appreciate paying eighteen cents less per gallon - it’s just that eighteen cents per gallon isn’t enough to do anything for anyone.
Think of [...]

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The Recession-Proof Economy - Not!

The good news is that the economy is not in a recession - it is just growing at a rate so slow as to be almost invisible. A recession is an economic downturn marked by two consecutive quarters of negative (GDP) growth. For the last two quarters, the growth rate has been only [...]

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