Tuesday Open Thread?

by Colman Tue Jun 5th, 2012 at 11:08:12 AM EST

Suffering post-public-holiday confusion.

Tuesday Open Thread? | 39 comments (39 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: Tuesday Open Thread? (none / 1)

Public holidays always take me by surprise too. It's very confusing.

by Colman (colman at eurotrib.com) on Tue Jun 5th, 2012 at 11:08:35 AM EST

Re: Tuesday Open Thread? (none / 0)

it's still ongoing here. Still celebrating that an old lady isn't yet dead.

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Tue Jun 5th, 2012 at 11:18:42 AM EST
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Re: Tuesday Open Thread? (4.00 / 3)

Talking of which, Jon Stewart rips into CNN's coverage

John Oliver : the sad last gasp of a once mighty and powerful empire, its best days long behind it, desperately trying to conjure up the memory of a happier time when it was more than a decaying relic"
Jon Stewart : Alright, obviously a harsh thing to say about your homeland....
JO : No, no, no John, I was tlking about CNN

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Tue Jun 5th, 2012 at 11:28:09 AM EST
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Re: Tuesday Open Thread? (none / 0)

"Look upon your works, Ted Turner, and despair"

guaranteed to evoke a violent reaction from police is to challenge their right to "define the situation." --- David Graeber citing Marc Cooper

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Tue Jun 5th, 2012 at 03:07:34 PM EST
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Re: Tuesday Open Thread? (none / 0)

Is it just me, or did the Queen look annoyed at the crap show they put on for her?

And, FFS, who put together that barge display?

guaranteed to evoke a violent reaction from police is to challenge their right to "define the situation." --- David Graeber citing Marc Cooper

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Tue Jun 5th, 2012 at 03:09:02 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Tuesday Open Thread? (none / 0)

Although I didn't watch it, I gather that all involved enjoyed it immensely, including the owners.

Seems tho' that it might have been an idea to have given Phillip some warm clothing, he's 91 and a 7 hour soaking seems to have done for him

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Tue Jun 5th, 2012 at 03:17:24 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Tuesday Open Thread? (none / 0)

Jon Stewart has a brilliant line: "can't they tell dancing from hypothermia?"

guaranteed to evoke a violent reaction from police is to challenge their right to "define the situation." --- David Graeber citing Marc Cooper

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Tue Jun 5th, 2012 at 03:54:35 PM EST
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Re: Tuesday Open Thread? (none / 0)

No problem here: June 2 was a Saturday this year.

by gk (g k quattro due due sette "at" gmail.com) on Tue Jun 5th, 2012 at 11:35:29 AM EST
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Re: Tuesday Open Thread? (none / 0)

... and so is July 14.

Europeans think a hundred miles is a long way. Americans think a hundred years is a long time.

by Bernard on Tue Jun 5th, 2012 at 03:28:42 PM EST
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Re: Tuesday Open Thread? (none / 0)

I'm reading Storia della mia gente, Edoardo Nesi. (=Story of my people.)

by PerCLupi on Tue Jun 5th, 2012 at 02:55:50 PM EST
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Re: Tuesday Open Thread? (none / 0)

On my way to Paris from Toronto!

by Upstate NY on Tue Jun 5th, 2012 at 11:12:35 AM EST

Re: Tuesday Open Thread? (none / 0)

You're blogging in mid-air ?

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Tue Jun 5th, 2012 at 11:19:08 AM EST
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Posh schools (none / 0)

The thing about students in posh universities is not that they are good. They are self confident and try things. 1 out of a 100 hits the jackpot and it is worth the other 99.

I am despairing with my MPhil and PhD students. Never had such a dumb cohort. But they believe that they know what they are doing.

1/2 is very good, 2/3 are average and the majority are below standard...

by cagatacos on Tue Jun 5th, 2012 at 11:54:36 AM EST

Re: Posh schools (4.00 / 2)

1/2 is very good, 2/3 are average and the majority are below standard

lol as Mig's brain explodes

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Tue Jun 5th, 2012 at 11:56:58 AM EST
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Re: Posh schools (none / 1)

You obviously don't know how to add fractions. I suggest reviewing certain recent government economic proposals showing various ways to add things up in random combinations to get the desired answer.

by asdf on Tue Jun 5th, 2012 at 12:12:17 PM EST
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Re: Posh schools (4.00 / 5)

When I re-read the thing, it crossed my mind it could be confusing. Then again, it worked as a tease... ;)

by cagatacos on Tue Jun 5th, 2012 at 01:02:01 PM EST
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Re: Posh schools (none / 0)

The average is below standard.

guaranteed to evoke a violent reaction from police is to challenge their right to "define the situation." --- David Graeber citing Marc Cooper

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Tue Jun 5th, 2012 at 02:54:54 PM EST
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Re: Posh schools (none / 0)

I've been told that all the children at my university are above average. Sadly it's for their BAC in class.

And I'll give my consent to any government that does not deny a man a living wage-Billy Bragg

by ManfromMiddletown (manfrommiddletown at lycos dot com) on Tue Jun 5th, 2012 at 03:27:44 PM EST
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Re: Posh schools (none / 0)

I once had a Korean colleague who assured us that Koreans were all above average.

by gk (g k quattro due due sette "at" gmail.com) on Tue Jun 5th, 2012 at 03:29:06 PM EST
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Re: Posh schools (4.00 / 3)

How do you say "Lake Wobegon" in Korean?

Europeans think a hundred miles is a long way. Americans think a hundred years is a long time.

by Bernard on Tue Jun 5th, 2012 at 03:34:09 PM EST
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Re: Posh schools (none / 0)

Or, as we'd call them at Florida State, underachievers. ;)

Be nice to America. Or we'll bring democracy to your country.

by Drew J Jones (pedobear@pennstatefootball.com) on Tue Jun 5th, 2012 at 08:41:44 PM EST
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Re: Posh schools (none / 1)

The US K-12 public school system is a disaster.

Ever since I learnt about confirmation bias I've started seeing it everywhere

by ATinNM on Tue Jun 5th, 2012 at 02:46:34 PM EST
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A succint statement of Modern Monetary Theory (none / 0)

Bill Mitchell: We do have a choice - we just need to identify it (June 5, 2012 )

It is a total fallacy to suggest that the government has some stockpile of "spending capacity" that it has to recharge and buildup just in case it needs to "turn the lights on" in the future.
The fundamental principles that arise in a fiat monetary system are as follows:

The central bank sets the short-term interest rate based on its policy aspirations.

Government spending capacity is independent of taxation revenue. The non-government sector cannot pay taxes until the government has spent.

Government spending capacity is independent of borrowing which the latter best thought of as coming after spending.

Government spending provides the net financial assets (bank reserves) which ultimately represent the funds used by the non-government agents to purchase the debt.

Budget deficits put downward pressure on interest rates contrary to the myths that appear in macroeconomic textbooks about "crowding out".

The "penalty for not borrowing" is that the interest rate will fall to the bottom of the "corridor" prevailing in the country which may be zero if the central bank does not offer a return on reserves.

Government debt-issuance is a "monetary policy" operation rather than being intrinsic to fiscal policy, although in a modern monetary paradigm the distinctions between monetary and fiscal policy as traditionally defined are moot.

The mistake lies in thinking that such a government is revenue-constrained and that a surplus will give the government more spending capacity. Nothing could be further from the truth irrespective of the rhetoric that politicians use to relate their fiscal decisions to us and/or the institutional arrangements that they have put in place which make it look as if they are raising money to re-spend it! These things are veils to disguise the true capacity of a sovereign government in a fiat monetary system.

Evidently, the Eurozone is not a fiat monetary system.

guaranteed to evoke a violent reaction from police is to challenge their right to "define the situation." --- David Graeber citing Marc Cooper

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Tue Jun 5th, 2012 at 02:57:21 PM EST

Re: A succint statement of Modern Monetary Theory (none / 0)

Migeru:

Evidently, the Eurozone is not a fiat monetary system.

Does it still count as a fiat monetary system if adjusting the variables is not permitted?

The fact is that what we're experiencing right now is a top-down disaster. -Paul Krugman

by dvx (dvx.clt ät gmail dotcom) on Tue Jun 5th, 2012 at 03:53:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: A succint statement of Modern Monetary Theory (none / 0)

It would be a lot easier if you could get the consumer confidence factor out of it. Print money -> inflation -> value redistribution away from asset holders.

by asdf on Tue Jun 5th, 2012 at 04:21:22 PM EST
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Re: Tuesday Open Thread? (none / 0)

Walker recall election underway in Wisconsin. Based on history there will be a low voter turnout and Walker will not be recalled.

Anecdotal evidence is there is a high turnout, I'll believe that when the polls close at 8:00 PM CST and we get some hard numbers.

Ever since I learnt about confirmation bias I've started seeing it everywhere

by ATinNM on Tue Jun 5th, 2012 at 03:12:10 PM EST

Re: Tuesday Open Thread? (none / 0)

At least there's a hope for a good result.

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Tue Jun 5th, 2012 at 03:15:08 PM EST
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Re: Tuesday Open Thread? (none / 0)

Yeah, meanwhile:

Money and enthusiasm spent on recall that is very unlikely to succeed.
Loss of recall emboldens Republican goofballs.
Loss of referendum "proves" that "people don't want unions running their lives."
Time better spent on positioning for next regular election is lost.

by asdf on Tue Jun 5th, 2012 at 04:23:47 PM EST
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Re: Tuesday Open Thread? (none / 0)

Hmm, that's the counsel of despair that argues that there's no point cos the bastards always win.

Recall generates enthusiasm.
Recall generates linkage, networking and sharing of learning.
Recall creates membership, creates organisation.

Even if you lose, they'll be fitter for next time. Don't discount it.

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Tue Jun 5th, 2012 at 04:31:05 PM EST
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Re: Tuesday Open Thread? (none / 0)

Maybe.

by asdf on Tue Jun 5th, 2012 at 04:44:04 PM EST
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Re: Tuesday Open Thread? (none / 0)

Won't know until Waukesha county reports. For the last several cycles that's the county that has thrown the state election to the Republican.

The DOJ is (supposedly) "monitoring" the election. Whatever that means.

Ever since I learnt about confirmation bias I've started seeing it everywhere

by ATinNM on Tue Jun 5th, 2012 at 04:52:50 PM EST
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Re: Tuesday Open Thread? (none / 0)

Even then we won't know. They can always "find" additional Republican votes later.

by gk (g k quattro due due sette "at" gmail.com) on Tue Jun 5th, 2012 at 04:55:10 PM EST
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Re: Tuesday Open Thread? (none / 0)

The DOJ is (supposedly) there to prevent just that.

Ever since I learnt about confirmation bias I've started seeing it everywhere

by ATinNM on Tue Jun 5th, 2012 at 04:57:50 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Chevy Volt comes out of the closet (none / 1)

by gk (g k quattro due due sette "at" gmail.com) on Tue Jun 5th, 2012 at 03:57:41 PM EST

Re: Chevy Volt comes out of the closet (4.00 / 2)

http://green.autoblog.com/2012/06/04/chevy-volt-comes-out-of-the-closet-at-motor-city-pride/

I am flabbergasted that GM would allow this to make it into print, but it looks real. Maybe the theory is that the gay-hating community is so consistent with the giant-pickup community that there is not going to be any crossover. Gay conservatives being thin on the ground...

I have seen a couple of Volts on the road. They are "average sized" American cars (although only four-seaters because of the (dumb) battery configuration), but by European standards they're pretty gigantic...

Also funny:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/toddwoody/2012/06/04/electric-car-road-rage/

by asdf on Tue Jun 5th, 2012 at 04:42:18 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Woo-Woo! (4.00 / 3)

Another day and another 300 lines of code done, finished, vetted.

God I'm good.

And humble.

Also.

(Too.)

Ever since I learnt about confirmation bias I've started seeing it everywhere

by ATinNM on Tue Jun 5th, 2012 at 04:48:26 PM EST

Re: Woo-Woo! (none / 0)

Now for some recall fail.

Be nice to America. Or we'll bring democracy to your country.