Saturday, July 17, 2010
Weak In Review
Marketplace Minute for 7/16 from Marketplace on Vimeo.
Analysis with critical mispronunciation by Newsy.com... Saying the name of the genus "macaca" as an insult killed George Allen's political career, but macaque (pronounced muh-KACK) is the name for old world monkeys with long tails.
Video: CNN
Taxed & Regulated Enough
Another perceived Boehner Boner is met with glee...
Lowering tax rates for the wealthiest Americans has long been a staple of Republican rhetoric. In the era following what 1980 Presidential candidate George H.W. Bush described as eventual winner Ronald Reagan's "Voodoo Economics," the belief that benefits would "trickle down" to lower economic levels became an unquestioned part of the party's orthodoxy... Somehow tax cuts would both directly increase tax revenues and create jobs in the process, as opposed to inflating stock prices and brokers' income.
Sounds good... Until you do the math.
If the chart had stuck, it'd look like this:
Videos & chart: MSNBC
So, with the current pace of job growth indicating it would take more than 12 years to recover all the jobs lost since the 2008 financial sector meltdown, are the rich ready to lay it on the line to test whether there's any truth to the claim tax cuts (rather than increased demand for products & services) produce jobs.
Time to put up or shut up, Mr. Moneybags!
Lowering tax rates for the wealthiest Americans has long been a staple of Republican rhetoric. In the era following what 1980 Presidential candidate George H.W. Bush described as eventual winner Ronald Reagan's "Voodoo Economics," the belief that benefits would "trickle down" to lower economic levels became an unquestioned part of the party's orthodoxy... Somehow tax cuts would both directly increase tax revenues and create jobs in the process, as opposed to inflating stock prices and brokers' income.
Sounds good... Until you do the math.
If the chart had stuck, it'd look like this:
So, with the current pace of job growth indicating it would take more than 12 years to recover all the jobs lost since the 2008 financial sector meltdown, are the rich ready to lay it on the line to test whether there's any truth to the claim tax cuts (rather than increased demand for products & services) produce jobs.
Time to put up or shut up, Mr. Moneybags!
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| Audio Embed: Dave Ross, KIRO-FM/Seattle, 7/16/10. | |
Mile-High Hummers
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) wants one.
Maybe you do, too... But they'll spend giga-bucks to get it.
Texas-based AVX Aircraft released mockups of a dual-rotor, ducted-fan driven aircraft and its concept looks pretty close to DARPA's spec - a four-person, vertical takeoff and landing-capable vehicle that can deal with (Afghan-like) off road conditions then take to the skies.
This design carries 1,040 pounds 250 miles on a single tank of gas, and can travel 80 mph while in the air at 10,000ft altitude at max gross weight and up to 140 mph on land... Presuming there are any safe, secure, straight and paved roads.
Unfolding the dual rotor blades (which turn in opposite directions to eliminate the need for a noisy tail rotor) for flight should convert the vehicle from road mode to aircraft in just 60 seconds.
From Automotto
Maybe you do, too... But they'll spend giga-bucks to get it.
This design carries 1,040 pounds 250 miles on a single tank of gas, and can travel 80 mph while in the air at 10,000ft altitude at max gross weight and up to 140 mph on land... Presuming there are any safe, secure, straight and paved roads.
Unfolding the dual rotor blades (which turn in opposite directions to eliminate the need for a noisy tail rotor) for flight should convert the vehicle from road mode to aircraft in just 60 seconds.
Laurie Anderson's Homeland
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| Audio Embed: Echoes, an ambient music program on public radio with an extensive archive of audio for download via subscription. | |
Friday, July 16, 2010
iSpy
Shahram Amiri, the Iranian nuclear scientist who went home this week, after seeking refuge in the Pakistani Embassy, left a lot of unanswered questions behind.
While Iran staged a hero's welcome for Shahram Amiri, who they claim was kidnapped by the CIA about a year ago while in Saudi Arabia, a report in The Washington Post claims Amiri defected to the U.S. and was paid $5 million by the CIA.
Multi-source video analysis by Newsy.com
The Christian Science Monitor offered possible scenarios to explain the twists & turns of Amiri’s tale, which sound like a spy thriller.
Indeed the story has haunting parallels to The Increment, a recent novel by Washington Post columnist David Ignatius, who explains the all too human reasons why defections don't always work out.
Non-Iranian Nukes
Video: MSNBC
Vahid Salemi/AP
While Iran staged a hero's welcome for Shahram Amiri, who they claim was kidnapped by the CIA about a year ago while in Saudi Arabia, a report in The Washington Post claims Amiri defected to the U.S. and was paid $5 million by the CIA.
Multi-source video analysis by Newsy.com
The Christian Science Monitor offered possible scenarios to explain the twists & turns of Amiri’s tale, which sound like a spy thriller.
Indeed the story has haunting parallels to The Increment, a recent novel by Washington Post columnist David Ignatius, who explains the all too human reasons why defections don't always work out.
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| Audio Embed: BBC, PRI & WGBH's The World 7/15/10, Host: Marco Werman. | |
Non-Iranian Nukes
Video: MSNBC
Alien Nation
Video: MSNBC
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| Audio Embed: Dave Ross, KIRO-FM/Seattle, 7/15/10. | |
Pretzel Logic
One leftover from British control of Hong Kong until 1997 is that cars drive on the left side of the road. But on the mainland, Chinese drivers keep right, like traffic in North America.
So what do you do on a bridge between the two?
The Pearl River Necklace bridge is a clever solution to the very real and obvious problem of how to connect Hong Kong & the mainland.
The bridge is part of Dutch architects' proposal to solve the problem by constructing a "road flipper" that physically twists the roads over each other to change the traffic flow without changing lanes.
From Gizmodo
So what do you do on a bridge between the two?
The Pearl River Necklace bridge is a clever solution to the very real and obvious problem of how to connect Hong Kong & the mainland.
The bridge is part of Dutch architects' proposal to solve the problem by constructing a "road flipper" that physically twists the roads over each other to change the traffic flow without changing lanes.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Tea Party Poopers
Do they brew up racial hatred, or just provide a cover for it?
Multi-source video analysis by Newsy.com
Video: MSNBC
Multi-source video analysis by Newsy.com
Video: MSNBC
Twittering
Backup Plan
In case of Fail Whale.
The Past Tense of Tweet is What?
CBS Late Show 7/13/10.
The Past Tense of Tweet is What?
CBS Late Show 7/13/10.
To Infinity Pool & Beyond!
The 150 meter infinity pool sits 800 feet above the ground and is the highlight of the multi-billion dollar Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.
Parts Department
Specific cases involved Bono's uncensored f-ing award show appearance and Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction, but enforcing the same policy is what caused Howard Stern to abandon free media in favor of satellite.
Later the same day, Berger & Prescott published a podcast on the subject of damaging penises... Coincidence?
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| Audio Embed: Berger & Prescott, podcast via Facebook. Had they ever aired, some episodes might have been fined under the FCC's old policy. | |
Monty Python's Meaning of Life (1983)
Video: CNN
D I V O R C E
Contagion
Multi-source video analysis by Newsy.com.
Prevention
Natural Roots
Christopher Ryan, co-author of "Sex at Dawn: The Prehistoric Origins of Modern Sexuality," finds biological evidence that humans evolved in a highly sex-charged environment, and sexuality became a recreational activity and form of social interaction.
Not only can you find links to Bonobo "chimps" behavior, but modern ideas about fidelity seem to be completely wrapped up in property rights and inheritance. Most of what is condemned as immoral is hardwired into us. Ryan says of human beings in our natural state:
"We are not monogamous."
Multi-source video analysis by Newsy.com.
Prevention
Natural Roots
Not only can you find links to Bonobo "chimps" behavior, but modern ideas about fidelity seem to be completely wrapped up in property rights and inheritance. Most of what is condemned as immoral is hardwired into us. Ryan says of human beings in our natural state:
"We are not monogamous."
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| Audio Embed: Dave Ross, KIRO-FM/Seattle, 7/14/10. (Interview -- 20:24) | |
Making Music
Birds On the Wires
Birds on the Wires from Jarbas Agnelli on Vimeo.
Nerd Pop
Brett Domino and Steven Peavis perform a medley of 2010 chart toppers.
Making Music Pay
Cancelled shows and entire cancelled tours plague the summer concert season and call into question the entire business model of the concert promotion industry Ticketmaster & Live Nation sought to monopolize through merger.
Making File Sharers Pay
In a major setback for the recording industry, a Boston judge slashed a $675,000 damage award by 90 percent last week.
Four major record labels had sued a Boston University graduate student for illegally downloading 30 songs and then sharing them online for additional downloads.
Multi-source analysis by Newsy.com
Birds on the Wires from Jarbas Agnelli on Vimeo.
Nerd Pop
Brett Domino and Steven Peavis perform a medley of 2010 chart toppers.
Making Music Pay
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| Audio Embed: All Things Considered 7/13/10, Reporter: Jacob Ganz. | |
Making File Sharers Pay
Four major record labels had sued a Boston University graduate student for illegally downloading 30 songs and then sharing them online for additional downloads.
Multi-source analysis by Newsy.com
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Boss From Hell Dies
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| Audio Embed: Dave Ross, KIRO-FM/Seattle, 7/13/10. | |
The Daily Beast compiled 8 classic Steinbrenner moments.
Videos: MSNBC
Lobster Tale
Trevor Corson, author of the bestselling The Secret Life of Lobsters, assists the real life lobster liberators in telling Nick the lobster's tale.
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| Audio Embed: NPR & WNYC's Radio Lab, Hosts: Robert Krulwich & Jad Abumrad. | |
See also: the Lobstersquad blog.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
The Food Bubble
Markets Draw Speculators, Who Manipulate Prices.
Hey look, it's Goldman Sachs, again!
Kaufman points the finger at Wall Street in "The Food Bubble," July's cover story in Harper's Magazine.
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| Audio Embed: BBC, PRI & WBUR's Here & Now 7/12/10, Host: Robin Young. | |
The Man Who Knew Too Much
Probably Worked in I.T.
A survey uncovers the uncomfortable truth about I.T. types.
Audio Embed: APM's Future Tense 7/12/10, Host: Jeff Horwich.
Audio Embed: APM's Future Tense 7/12/10, Host: Jeff Horwich.
Bainbridge Island
and music that expresses spirituality sung in both English & Gaelic.
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| Audio Embed: Echoes, an ambient music program on public radio with an extensive archive of audio for download via subscription. | |
Monday, July 12, 2010
Bahamas Bag Barefoot Bandit
After evading authorities for more than two years, police arrested Colton Harris-Moore, the fugitive known as the "Barefoot Bandit," on Harbour Island, Bahamas.
Video: CBS & NBC News
Video: CBS & NBC News
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| Audio Embed: Dave Ross, KIRO-FM/Seattle, 7/12/10. | |
Whale Fish
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| Audio Embed: PRI's Living On Earth 7/9/10. | |
Mr. Scruff (Andrew Carthy)
Shanty Town
Keep It Unreal (1999)
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