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Monthly Archives: January 2012

A new argument against gerrymandering

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

This is interesting:   .. [I]n Illinois, the bipartisan League of Women Voters is challenging gerrymandered districts based on a new legal claim: that it violates free speech. While a district court already dismissed its claim, the League of Women Voters can—and has—appealed to the Supreme Court. Because it’s a redistricting case, the court will […]

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Two Nations, (One) under God

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Someone passed this graphic along to my wife, and I, in turn, feel compelled to pass it on. It illustrates the predominate term used in various parts of the nation for carbonated beverages. What struck me is how similar the pattern is to other, less trivial local variations, such as religiosity (hence, the title of […]

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A bit of quibbling over semantics

Saturday, January 28, 2012

 We’ve been hearing a lot about Romney’s tax return lately. I personally have been struck (stricken?) by the number of times I’ve read statements, even from left wingers, to the effect that Romney earned $21 million last year. Here’s one example, but it shouldn’t be hard to find more. This appeared to me to be […]

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Friday Night Music

Friday, January 27, 2012

In the past I have tried, on this feature, to abide by a few rules, all of which I have broken when the need arose. No lip syncing, no music with only a photo to go along with it; and no repeated artists. It has been most difficult to adhere to the last of those. […]

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Irresponsibility

Thursday, January 26, 2012

 If you were to judge by the people who leave comments on the New London Day’s website, you would conclude that Southeastern Connecticut is full of right wing bigots. Actual voting results, however, would not confirm that conclusion. If you were to judge by the results of scientific polling, you would conclude that Obama’s SOTU […]

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Rethinking the Romney meme

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

It’s been conventional wisdom for quite a while that Romney, mass of warts and all, is nonetheless the strongest candidate the Republicans have for the general election. I bought into that, and while I’m not quite ready to declare outright apostasy, I think the argument is losing a lot of its force awful fast. Newt […]

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Hilarious

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Colbert on Rick Santorum The Colbert Report Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c Indecision 2012 – Rick Santorum’s Senior Pandering www.colbertnation.com Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog Video Archive

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Random thoughts on the SOTU

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

 A few days ago I expressed the hope that Obama would go for the votes, and not the money, by rejecting a proposed sweetheart deal in the bank fraud settlement talks. It looks like he’s done that, and that, at least rhetorically, he’s turned up the heat and given his talk some credibility by appointing […]

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How private equity works

Monday, January 23, 2012

 Good, concise explanation at the New Yorker of how private equity companies like Bain work, and how these exemplars of private enterprise depend on government subsidies of one form or another to thrive.  Part of the process: load the acquisition with debt for the sole purpose of paying yourself a special dividend: As a result, […]

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Here they go again

Monday, January 23, 2012

 The Obama folks may be working toward a deal with the banks that essentially transfers more money to….you guessed it…the banks. 

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