Archive for the 'Economy' Category
The Roots of Bain Capital in El Salvador’s Civil War
January 22nd, 2012Via: Salon: A significant portion of the seed money that created Mitt Romney’s private equity firm, Bain Capital, was provided by wealthy oligarchs from El Salvador, including members of a family with a relative who allegedly financed rightist groups that used death squads during the country’s bloody civil war in the 1980s Bain, the source […]
Sorry iBooks, Paper Books Still Win on Specs
January 22nd, 2012Apple’s vision for ebooks is to make them like webpages, complete with embedded music, videos, lectures, 3D models, etc; the more distracting, the better. One of the most irritating experiences that I can think of is being interrupted as I’m trying to concentrate. When I sit down to read a book, I don’t want my […]
Kill Hollywood
January 21st, 2012Via: Y Combinator: Hollywood appears to have peaked. If it were an ordinary industry (film cameras, say, or typewriters), it could look forward to a couple decades of peaceful decline. But this is not an ordinary industry. The people who run it are so mean and so politically connected that they could do a lot […]
Federal Prosecutor to Take 5th Amendment in Fast and Furious Probe
January 20th, 2012Via: Politico: A senior federal prosecutor in Arizona intends to invoke his Fifth Amendment rights rather than testify before a House committee next week looking into the Justice Department’s handling of the Fast and Furious gunrunning investigation, the prosecutor’s attorney told Congress in a letter on Thursday. On Wednesday, House Government Reform and Oversight Committee […]
What Happens When Unlimited Runs Out?
January 20th, 2012Via: Bloomberg: European Central Bank President Mario Draghi’s unlimited three-year loans to euro-region banks may give Italy and Spain only temporary respite from the region’s debt crisis. Two-year Italian and Spanish notes rallied since the ECB said Dec. 8 that it planned to offer as much liquidity as banks wanted in exchange for eligible collateral. […]
Side by Side
January 20th, 2012Via: Side by Side: Side by Side Official Trailer (2012) from Company Films on Vimeo. Related: Eastman Kodak Files for Bankruptcy Protection
Edible Microchips to Monitor Drug Taking Habits
January 20th, 2012I wonder if people will tell Siri to remind them to take their digestible sensors? Via: Independent: An edible microchip that records the precise details of a patient’s pill regime will be available in Britain by the end of year following a commercial deal that opens the door to an era of digital medicines. An […]
U.S. Government’s Takedown of Megaupload ‘Sets a Terrifying Precedent’
January 20th, 2012Of course, the sycophantic New Zealand government went along with Uncle’s whims. Via: AP: One of the world’s most popular file-sharing sites was shut down Thursday, and its founder and several company officials were accused of facilitating millions of illegal downloads of films, music and other content. A federal indictment accused Megaupload.com of costing copyright […]
Andrea Rossi Claims E-Cat Prototypes Submitted for UL Approval
January 19th, 2012Many of you are interested in Andrea Rossi and the E-cat technology. You’re submitting several stories and wondering what I think about all of this. Here’s what I think: I put about equal odds on one of these three outcomes: 1. Andrea Rossi is the real deal and I’ll soon be able to buy an […]
IMF Seeks to Raise Lending Power by Up to $500 Billion Amid Europe Crisis
January 19th, 2012Via: Bloomberg: The International Monetary Fund is proposing to raise its lending capacity by as much as $500 billion to insulate the global economy against any worsening of Europe’s debt crisis. The Washington-based lender is aiming to increase its resources after identifying a potential need for $1 trillion in financing in coming years, an IMF […]
