Ian McDowell lists creepy Christmas traditions, including a favorite of this blog, Krampus. Some he left out: Christmas sweaters, fruitcake, Bill O'Reilly, the year-end letter...' [...]
Because 11% unemployment is not high enough? "I would have loved it if just one council member spoke up and said hell no, we don’t want stimulus money, period." Fortunately, nine out of nine council-members figured out that voting against... [...]
Jerk blasts cheater: "We've gotten into this situation where integrity is really lacking and that's why I'm glad I'm not coaching," [Knight] said. "You see we've got a coach at Kentucky who put two schools on probation and he's still..." [...]
WaPo picks up on a hot NC story: "It's sort of like which devil do you fear the most?" asked Gary Pearce, a longtime North Carolina Democratic operative. "Are you more afraid of the party base or are you more..." [...]
At least Summers is now in a job where he can't cause any further harm: The swaps, which assumed that interest rates would rise, proved so toxic that [Harvard] agreed to pay banks a total of almost $1 billion to...' [...]
Krugman: "[P]ass the health care bill."Why? First, it would prohibit discrimination by insurance companies on the basis of medical condition or history: Americans could no longer be denied health insurance because of a pre-existing condition, or have their insurance canceled... [...]
I'm sure this can be traced to the Community Reinvestment Act: "Homeowners with mortgages of more than $1 million are defaulting at almost twice the U.S. rate." "You are just starting to see the tip of the iceberg with luxury...'" [...]
"The federal estate tax will likely expire as scheduled Jan. 1." That's awesome because a hereditary oligarchy is healthy for democracy, and the budget is balanced already anyway. I guess rich people should be careful around their heirs next year. [...]
"The continuity of dynamized space that he has achieved with 3-D gloriously supports his trippy belief that all living things are one." I think that means he liked Avatar. I'm not much for celebrity profiles, but I did like this...' [...]
Also, Bin Laden is said to be stealing wifi from a neighbor's cave: Militants in Iraq have used $26 off-the-shelf software to intercept live video feeds from U.S. Predator drones, potentially providing them with information they need to evade or... [...]
Disapparated: "For six years, Tiger Woods was the advertising face for Accenture, the big consulting firm. But now that Mr. Woods has confessed to infidelities amid an assault of media coverage, Accenture wants him to disappear." More: "Tiger Woods’s indiscretions..." [...]
"[Oral] Roberts was one of the founders of the prosperity gospel, the notion that God blesses faithful believers with riches and good health." Includes a link to the Atlantic article posted here recently, which elicited some good comments. [...]
Why Progressives Are Batshit Crazy to Oppose the Senate Bill. Don't worry, he backs up the highly technical language of the headline with some plain English analysis and a killer chart.' [...]
Senators John McCain and Maria Cantwell proposed reinstating the Depression-era Glass-Steagall Act that split commercial and investment banking to rein in Wall Street firms in response to the financial crisis. Not everyone likes the idea: "Trying to split them up..." [...]
PP says Nancy Vaughan "buckled" on the swim-center vote. Which is what swim-center proponents would have said if she'd voted the other way. Both sides spoke well for their respective positions, although their purpose was explanation and not debate --...' [...]
Across the Alps from stricken France, some people think it's open season on the Prime Minister. His aides blame the internet, "one of the few sources of news and information in Italy that aren't subject to some form of control...'" [...]
Johnny Hallyday, the Elvis of France, is inexplicable to the non-French and ineluctable within L'Hexagone itself, where his grave medical condition is big news.' [...]
Mecklenburg County will offer domestic partner benefits in 2011 to employees in same-sex relationships... ...The board's three Republicans opposed the policy, saying there appeared to be no demonstrated demand among county workers for the benefits and that offering them could... [...]
Swim center with hotel-tax funding passes City Council 5-4. Danny Thompson seems likely to be a force on this Council. I can't get a fix on our new mayor yet, but he showed good humor and grace during a high-voltage...' [...]
From Insull to Bezos: Perhaps because [Amazon's] background in retailing gives it a different perspective than that of traditional IT vendors, it has left those vendors in the dust when it comes to pioneering the new network-based model of supplying...' [...]
More on the changes at Facebook, including a look at the business case behind them. Facebook has repeatedly screwed up the public rollout of new privacy settings...If Facebook were a public relations firm, even the Salahis would have fired it... [...]
"The U.S. House is considering reinstituting the Depression-era Glass-Steagall Act, which barred bank holding companies from owning other financial companies." Not a magic bullet, but a recognition that we need a serious regulatory regime to keep free markets healthy. Obvious,... [...]
Speaking of worthy causes, the candy-cane fundraiser for Kids Path -- held in memory of Jessica Cole by her friends -- runs through this week. Thanks to a very generous reader of this blog for triggering my matching gift, and... [...]
Tom Cone said yesterday in a eulogy for his father that Herman Cone Jr. would have responded to this article about local charities in need by picking up the phone and finding out what he could do to help. Donations... [...]
Rather than expanding the NCAA tourney field, maybe they should limit the number of teams invited from the big conferences. If expansion means more mediocre big-con teams in the post-season, forget it. [...]
Stewart Brand offers a taxonomy of climate-change belief. The calamatists and denialists are primarily political figures, with firm ideological loyalties, whereas the warners and skeptics are primarily scientists, guided by ever-changing evidence. That distinction between ideology and science not only... [...]
The enemy of my enemy is my friend, as the saying goes. But what happens when my enemy is a friend of my friend? The Obama administration wants Pakistan to turn on Mr. Haqqani, a longtime asset of Pakistan's spy... [...]
Wake up, gentlemen. I can only say that your response is inadequate. I wish that somebody would give me some shred of neutral evidence about the relationship between financial innovation recently and the growth of the economy, just one shred... [...]
Following yesterday's link to the NYT mag year in ideas issue, a look back at the 2001 edition. Some of them are pretty trivial, but good call on Wikipedia. And maybe HondaJet will turn that "no" on air taxis into... [...]
"The glaciers that have long provided water and electricity to this part of Bolivia are melting and disappearing." Thank goodness those hacked emails mean we no longer have to worry about this kind of thing. [...]
"Accustomed to a certain deference from citizens and the news media, members of France’s political elite have been caught off guard by the cruder sensibilities and tabloid flavor of the online world. They have mounted a broad counteroffensive." Yeah, that... [...]
Given the veryclose relationship between real estate interests and local government, I hope any sale of properties by Guilford County will be exposed to a lot of sunlight. I'm fine with portfolio management, and I understand money is tight. But...' [...]
The new Facebook privacy settings make your info and photos public by default, so if you want to keep some stuff private, you need to adjust your preferences accordingly. Maybe a lot of folks who used to want privacy have... [...]
Staring at a wood fire is more entertaining that Avatar is likely to be, and that would be true even if Avatar ends up being good. Reading by a wood fire on a rainy day is even better with a... [...]
Found while looking for items for the previous post, one of my favorite artworks to appear on this blog: Lego me enjoys a hearty meal in Hell (click to enlarge). I miss FrogRabbitMonkey, too. [...]
"Good enough is the new great," one of the topics discussed in the ideas issue of the Times mag, has been hotly debated at this site for years. I miss Chewie, although she wasn't very happy with me in the...' [...]
Family, food, drunks, politics, race, religion, doubt, secrets, shame...no better way to head into the thick of Christmas-party season than reading "The Dead." [...]
Milton Kern wants to build the aquatic center (and a bunch of other stuff) downtown. I wanted to put an ACC hall of fame at South Elm and Lee before the big boys even announced their plans, but I see... [...]
"It might seem like a small thing, but the existence of a decent neighborhood supermarket (or, at least, the equivalent shops) is the difference between a viable urban neighborhood and a nonviable one," writes Atrios, coincidentally, as news of a... [...]
"I'm very interested in using this crisis as a way to avoid the next one," Volcker said. "This isn't any time to go back to business as usual." He's got all kinds of radical ideas, like not letting bankers trade... [...]
[T]he notion that the United States has some immunity against homegrown terrorists is coming under new scrutiny. NYT and WaPo have lede stories on the same unpleasant subject. American Muslim organizations, jolted by the spate of cases, are abandoning their... [...]
UPDATE: Obit; funeral set for Monday 12/14, 11 AM, Temple Emanuel on Greene St. Herman Cone Jr. of Greensboro died today, his 86th birthday. He is survived by his beloved wife, Barbara; sons Herman III (Trip), Bob, and Tom; five... [...]
Winners and losers in House finance reform bill, which still has a long way to go before becoming law. Another view: "[T]he bill achieves some modest improvements, rather than the comprehensive reform that was needed." [...]
UNC Charlotte’s Board of Trustees on Friday unanimously approved plans to move forward with a football program in 2013. The proposal calls for the university to borrow $40.5 million to construct a permanent stadium and field house. More: "Most of..." [...]
What little I've seen puts me in the Avatar-looks-sucky camp. But sucky is not the same thing as unprofitable. Still, Cameron's last movie was about a huge, hyped, high-tech endeavor that turned out to be a disaster, so anything is...' [...]
For those of you busy having lives, an aquatic center round-up by Gerald Witt. Long ago, my cousin Benjie warned me that interior decorators describe the same color as purple, plum, and aubergine, each with a different price. I know... [...]
The Maccabees are best understood as moderate fanatics...If they found uncircumcised Jews, they performed forced circumcisions. They had no interest in religious liberty within the Jewish community and believed religion was a collective regimen, not an individual choice. They were... [...]
Heartwarming: "'The 71-year-old Mr. Madoff also is salvaging something that disappeared in the outside world the moment his fraud was exposed: respect. 'To every con artist, he is the godfather, the don,' says an inmate interviewed earlier this week."' [...]
An interesting take on Burr's decision to delay the nomination of Thomas Walker as the new US Attorney for the Eastern District of NC: "Burr is letting [Hagan] off the hook." I'm all for letting Holding finish his work, and...' [...]
Please consider helping with a fundraiser in memory of Jessica Cole. Proceeds from the candy-cane sale go to Kids Path, for which Jessica's friends have raised more than $8,000 over the years. Contact Carmi at cmedoff@greensboroday.org for details; I'll match...' [...]
Just War, or just war? It's a dangerous world. There are things worth fighting for. But there are also reflexive moves, habits and bad policies, and powerful interests that profit from war. I don't think Obama takes this stuff lightly....' [...]
Putting the "cash" in Kashkari: Kashkari's ability to cash in on his short-lived but high-profile tenure in public service seems likely to speed up the already fast-moving revolving door between government and the financial sector. And in southern California-based PIMCO,... [...]
The party of the people: "A group of Democrats friendly to the interests of Wall Street forced a delay in consideration of the landmark financial regulatory reform bill scheduled to hit the House floor on Wednesday." Suggested campaign slogan for... [...]
My visits to the Jersey shore center on family, food, and a nice time-warp vibe. We make a pilgrimage to Seaside, where many tribes gather on the boardwalk -- jocks, goths, preps, stoners, et al -- an entire high school... [...]
From the same fine folks who frisked granny: "In a massive security breach, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) inadvertently posted online its airport screening procedures manual, including some of the most closely guarded secrets." [...]
Nearly four years ago, readers of this blog suggested to Dr. Mary Johnson that she offer a concise version of her story. She now has posted a version she says is as short and sweet as she can manage. Dr.... [...]
FCC chair Julius Genachowski is reading Nick Carr's The Big Switch. Good. On Dec. 16, the FCC will present proposals for how it can meet the goal of universal and affordable broadband. That service, argues Genachowski, is not a luxury.... [...]
TPM highlights mobile-device adoption rates in Afghanistan and Pakistan of 30% and 52%, respectively, in its coverage of the State Dept's new multilingual messaging strategy (I handled the smartass copy-editing angle). An emailer pronounced himself "stunned" at the number for... [...]
Don't put anything in writing that you don't want to see again at an inconvenient time. This includes electronic media. I hate to think of my newspaper column as a cheat sheet, but really, people, pay attention: "The Internet takes..." [...]
UPDATE:During the swearing-in, council members took different approaches. Bothwell, who got some of the most raucous applause, stood alone and chose to affirm, rather than swear, and to not put his hand on any religious text... Pre-meeting prayer could be... [...]
Jim Buie, who is living in Turkey for a year, responds to a recent post about Ottomania and the country's present and future. Spend some time at his blog, it's good stuff. [...]
Not a whole lot of internet access in Afghanistan and Pakistan, so the State Department is making translated excerpts of Obama's surge speech available for mobile devices. Smart, but..."To make sure the people the message reaches more of the people..." [...]
"You know it's over when he'd rather show you 'Team America' than his penis." Really? Sharing "Team America" should be a tender and beautiful thing, and it sounds healthier than some of the stuff Julie Powell gets into in her...' [...]
Luke Wilson appeared on the teevee, again, and I told my daughter that I had just read an article that said both AT&T and Verizon ads were not to be trusted. Sydney: "Duh." Our work as parents is not done,... [...]
Doing the same thing and expecting different results is one definition of insanity. Our financial system just blowed up pretty good, but there's a lot of resistance to doing things differently. That's insane. "When the financial crisis began, few players..." [...]
Transparency in local government: a commission member with a blog. As it happens, I agree with Tony right down the line on the swim center issue -- I'd like to see it built, I think the process to date has...' [...]
"Over a 28-year-period, megamergers — the largest 1% of all transactions — destroyed on average 3% of the short-term stock returns of acquirers." Too bad this WSJ article is behind the paywall, it's worth reading. Bankers and managers walk away... [...]
If you have not already found that perfect gift, consider the gift of space travel. Branson says he wants to build a spaceship that's "100 percent safe." That would be great, then he could use the same technology on airplanes,... [...]
Put the TARP money into a jobs program, with maybe a chunk reserved for deficit reduction. And don't expect to get all of the rest of it back: Unpaid loans on malls, hotels, apartments and home developments stood at a...' [...]
Cal Cunningham is running for the US Senate seat held by Richard Burr. I've never quite bought the Burr-is-easy-pickings meme. Not to say he's unbeatable, of course, and I know the polls say the Democrats have a good shot, but...' [...]
Appropriate that the horrible neologism "incents" is a homophone for "incensed": According to the standard narrative, the meltdown of Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers largely wiped out the wealth of their top executives...That standard narrative, however, turns out to be... [...]
"We're not dead-opposed to a playoff. But we suspect that pointless arguing is the secret lifeblood of college football." My sentiments exactly. A playoff would be logical, doable, and in many ways more satisfying than the bowl system, but what...' [...]
Not saying that compound interest is the most powerful force in the universe gives Einstein one of the more useful apocryphal quotes in the canon: "Gold’s best year in three decades has yet to match the returns of an interest-bearing..." [...]
One of the fun little rituals at the Dean Dome in recent years was Danny Green's pre-game dance to "Jump Around." Green was all business on the court, a key member of a great team, but his dancing added to... [...]
"Sometimes the future is easier to predict than the present." In my newspaper column, trying to figure out when a decade ends and what happened while it lasted. Farewell to a tough decade Edward Cone News & Record 12-6-09 It... [...]
RIP Harry Helms, who posted as LasVegasHeel on the IC board. He wrote this fan's note at his blog earlier this year: Last night was the last time I will ever get to see Carolina play. I watched it quietly... [...]
"Mr. Matsdorf said Ms. Hanes was recommended for the United States attorney position solely on the basis of her credentials, which included being the girlfriend of the guy who nominated her." The original statement left off the part after the... [...]
Give the people what they want: During Ramadan, Burger King offered a special sultan menu featuring dishes popular in the Ottoman years. In the television commercial promoting the meal, a turbaned Janissary — a member of an elite group of... [...]
Correction of the week: "A Nov. 26 article in the District edition of Local Living incorrectly said a Public Enemy song declared 9/11 a joke. The song refers to 911, the emergency phone number." [...]
I guess the new De Niro flick is not quite Goodfellas: "The queasiness produced by this sentimental weepie builds into a wave of nausea during its interminable finale." Bonus: Best bad films of the decade. [...]
Profile of a late-term aboritionist. Dr. Carhart has also begun performing some abortions "past 24 weeks," he said in an interview, and is prepared to perform them still later if they meet legal requirements and if he considers them medically... [...]
The proximate cause of the online war and legal proceedings between bloggers Jeff Martin and Mary Johnson was a comment left by Martin at a site maintained by Mike Baron. Baron is Greensboro's former water conservation manager. He maintains that... [...]
"The boom was fueled by easy credit, a poorly regulated market overrun by speculators, and cheerleading from Dubai officials." Typical left-wing hackery by the Wall Street Journal, not even mentioning the Community Reinvestment Act. [...]
"This business/news integration is a progressive step and is strongly supported by the news leaders of both the Sports and Entertainment segments." Oy. [...]
"Much of Mackintosh on the Lake, the massive upscale community that straddles the Alamance-Guilford line, is in foreclosure and will go on the auction block in about five weeks after its developer defaulted on loan payments." More here. "Mackintosh developer..." [...]
Redbird Round, featuring Alice Gerrard, Laurelyn Dossett and Diana Jones, will play Triad Stage on Weds 12/9 at 7:30 PM. Get your tix here, then listen to them a couple of days later on TSOT, then follow them around while... [...]
My upcoming newspaper column ends with the prediction that the banksters will eventually blow things up again. Damn early deadlines, otherwise I'd think about taking out the "eventually" and putting in "soon." So the plutocrats, it seems are going to...' [...]
Clemson is still Clemson, and the Big 11 finally wins a series against the unformidable ACC. Watching Dook-Wisconsin was a win-win: you were going to get an ACC victory or a Dook defeat, and go to bed happy either way.... [...]
Fec reads Taibbi: "Barack Obama, a once-in-a-generation political talent whose graceful conquest of America's racial dragons en route to the White House inspired the entire world, has for some reason allowed his presidency to be hijacked by sniveling, low-rent shitheads." [...]
"Am I the only idiot around who still doesn’t quite get [Botticelli's] popularity?," asks Kimmelman, before explaining that popularity pretty well: Yes, he’s a beautiful painter...And his appeal to traditional connoisseurs is obvious. It grows out of his lyrical humanism...' [...]
More on the media-golf complex: The Tiger Woods that was constructed for corporate consumption was spotless and smooth, an edgeless brand easily peddled to sheikhs and shakers... ...Anything dissonant was dealt with quickly and mercilessly. Tiger's caddy, an otherwise unemployable... [...]
