Here.

Know anybody who still thinks Steve Jobs is a god, or even a near-decent human being? Who doesn’t understand what’s meant by “Chinese competitiveness” in attracting iPhone and other computer & smartphone assembly business? Who doesn’t believe their favorite gadgets are assembled in near-slave conditions?

Shorter Yves.

Dendrobium orchid

The moustache of understanding opines today:

A Washington Post-ABC News poll released on Friday found that two-thirds of Americans would consider voting for a third-party presidential candidate, while 48 percent definitely wanted a third party in the race. Now what does that tell you? It tells you that with the campaign about to go into full swing, as the president delivers his State of the Union address next week, voters are still casting about for a leader with a winning message.

No, it tells what it tells, you stupid Fuck.

Check out Obama's new online ad.

Obama’s denial of Keystone XL tar sands pipeline permit was an easy decision, for now

While the current Keystone XL permit application is dead, the pipeline might not be. The administration will allow TransCanada to reapply for a permit after it develops an alternate route around the Nebraska Sandhills, a sensitive habitat.

February 29, 2012, Be there or be square!

Reuters:

On Wednesday, John O'Brien Jr., register of deeds in Salem, Mass., announced that he had sent 31,897 allegedly fraudulent foreclosure-related documents to Holder. O'Brien said he asked for a criminal investigation of servicers and their law firms that had filed the documents because they "show a pattern of fraud," forgery and false notarizations.

Granted, criminal prosecutions of the servicers. The banksters are the next link in the food chain.

Binge Drinking—Especially by Wealthy—Is Surging in US

Binge drinking by Americans is much higher than originally thought—especially among the more affluent households, a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control finds.

That's hilarious.

Clearly the Syrians are going through unimaginable hells with the merciless oppression of their leadership. According to Nadin Abbott:

The Syrian unrest started in March 2011, on the heels of the successful Arab Spring In Tunis and Egypt. As Syrians took to the streets to demand that President Bashar Al Assad step down, the regime quickly clamped down. The Syrian government used armed personnel and snipers against peaceful demonstrators. Many people were kidnapped and taken by the security forces, after which they were tortured and in many cases killed.

 snip

Al Jazeera:

The stereotypical Occupier is often portrayed as a young, unemployed, college student. That may be one demographic - but far from the only one.

South Carolina, with its many military bases and academies, has a lot of veterans - and a disproportionate number of Occupiers seem to be veterans. Of the 11 people arrested when Occupy Charleston set up a short-lived encampment in the city's Marion Square, five were veterans, including Ramon Caraballo of Charleston.

Talks set out terms of US mortgage deal

The banks would receive less credit if they reduce balances for loans packaged in bonds or by reducing monthly payments through cuts in borrowers’ interest rates. In one scenario, the banks would get about 50 cents of credit for every $1 of reduced mortgage principal in home loans used to back bonds. In another scenario, balances on loans held on the banks’ books that are cut in the first year of the deal would receive $1.25 credit. This means, under certain circumstances, the aid to homeowners would be less than the aggregate size of the settlement, people familiar with the matter said.

There was a little meet and greet session with her in DC while she was in town supporting the various Occupy actions this week in DC.

And I have to say, she was pretty awesome. The event was open to anyone, no guest list or anything. She reminded me a little of Elizabeth Warren; very likable and energetic with this really sincere warmth about her. No ego AT ALL. There were no handlers, security personnel, etc. You could literally just reach over, tap her on the shoulder and introduce yourself. By far the most open and approachable politico I’ve ever met.

After watching the banksters swagger around, looting and pillaging, for over a generation, I have pretty much decided that the most we can hope to achieve in controlling these criminals is serious regulation.  I still applaud the wag who suggested that "the regulation of the financial services business should be so comprehensive and strict, the head of Goldman Sachs would have to get a hall pass from Marcy Kaptur to take a dump." But in reality, I would settle for financial services being treated like a regulated utility.

But look what happened to Hungary when she attempted to put some restrictions on the "sacred" independence of the central bank.  The EU has stepped in to explain how her government will be allowed to run.   Actually, the restrictions Hungary wanted impose are very reasonable—which pretty much means my reform wish list will never happen. (sigh)  I especially liked the part where central bankers were required to swear a loyalty oath to the country.  Imagine asking a central banker to place the well-being of his country above the institutional needs of the central bank. (the horror)  Gotta bring the big guns down on that! (cross posted at real economics)

Why is Occupy Tampa protesting inside malls?

More than a dozen from Occupy Tampa laid down inside the Apple Store at International Plaza and at Best Buy on Dale Mabry on Monday night. Protestors say they were trying to represent the bodies of 14 Chinese Apple workers who they say committed suicide due to miserable working conditions.

'Mass suicide' protest at Apple manufacturer Foxconn factory

Op-ed in Atlanta Jewish Times says the slaying of the president may be an effective way to thwart Iran's nuclear program.

NEW YORK - The owner and publisher of the Atlanta Jewish Times, Andrew Adler, has suggested that Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to consider ordering a Mossad hit team to assassinate U.S. President Barack Obama so that his successor will defend Israel against Iran.

Clearly the war party is losing its mind.

Chicagoans join Occupy the Courts protests

Detroit Group Joins National Protest Of Supreme Court Decision

Protesters gathered outside the Theodore Levin U.S. Courthouse in downtown Detroit Friday afternoon, joining the nationwide Occupy Our Courts protest taking place at more than 130 courthouses across the country.

Kansas City part of Occupy the Court events across U.S.

In a piece called “More Questions About the Job Guarantee,” John Carney provides some links to the continuing debate on the Job Guarantee (JG). All the links are to posts critical of the JG idea except a link to one of my four posts critical of Carney’s earlier work and supportive of the JG. The four posts are all at Daily Kos, but also at MyFDL, ourfuture.org, and correntewire.com.

Videos!

Occupy the Courts 1/20/12 — protest at SCOTUS

Protesters Rush Steps of US Supreme Court

Police brutality, Arrests, Undercovers Unmasked outside SCOTUS

Perhaps this is cheating, but rather than giving a link to follow, I'm reproducing a newspaper column by David Sirota. The original can be found here. He makes a very good point - one that I think is the reason that liberals are foaming at the mouth about Ron Paul. Agree or disagree?

Our Selective Definition of Bigotry

"If they have any value at all anymore, presidential election campaigns at least remain larger-than-life mirrors reflecting back painful truths about our society. As evidence, ponder the two-sided debate over Republican candidate Ron Paul and bigotry.

Teh awesome:

“We sat on the tarmac with the AC off and no Wi-Fi for 20 minutes after boarding the plane.”

“You can order a pizza from your computer but you still have to get up to answer the door.”

Just... Ouch. More and more.