Thursday, May 03, 2012

Happy Hour Thread

enjoy.

Afternoon Thread

Stop Them

There are a lot of things wrong with unpaid internships, such as, you know, the exploitive use of free labor in violation of the law, but they're also a way of perpetuating the class system in certain kinds of industries. For some, if the choice is a prestigious internship or McDonalds, McDonalds will win, because mommy and daddy can't and won't lend them $25,000. And really, these places can't afford to even pay minimum freaking wage? They're just assholes.

Lunch Thread

enjoy

Double Dose Of Krgthulu

The maddening thing about this isn't simply that people were wrong, it's that they won't admit they were wrong. Or if they do, they were wrong for all the right reasons and the people who were right were right for the wrong reasons. At 20% unemployment they'll be screaming "ALL IS WELL." And they'll continue to fail upwards. Also, too, Krugman is a smelly hippie.

Getting Older

It isn't going to be cheap, but policymakers really need to start thinking about how to deal with the growing transportation crisis that's coming. People who can't drive are stuck in their homes in big parts of the country.

I used to be more sanguine about certain parts of our politics, based on the idea that promising free stuff to old people who vote would always be a pretty good way to win elections. Somehow there's a disconnect.

Thursday Is New Jobless Day

365K new lucky duckies.

A bit better.

Jobs report out tomorrow.

Hurt Fee Fees

We probably have the worst rich people in all of human history. Not evil, necessarily, just really sad and pathetic emotionally stunted children.

Wednesday, May 02, 2012

Late Night Thread

Glee

The first season (first half? first 8 episodes or so I guess, don't quite remember) was actually really good. It got a following for a reason. Then 'who cares about anything else we can make millions selling songs on itunes' idea took over and it got worse and worse.

They Should Have Put Issue Loops In Their Hot Soup

I don't even know who are the grifters and who are the griftees, but nobody could have predicted...

Happy Hour Thread

enjoy.

Democracy Is Messy

Pierce:

First of all, there is absolutely nothing prima facie wrong with any politician's being challenged in a primary at any time in any place. God knows, the Democrats could use a couple of dozen more good solid primary fights. You can't moan endlessly about how Americans take no interest in government and then complain when they actually do.

I get why politicians have a sad when their buds might lose their jobs, and I get why they hate serious primary challengers, but this "democracy is awesome in theory but horrible in practice" is so often on display from our newspaper editorial boards. The near certainty of incumbent re-election is the worst thing ever in the abstract. But when there's an attempt to unseat anyone with the only method with any chance to succeed for most incumbents - primaries - the fainting couches come out about horrible extremist voters daring to turn their backs on all that experience blah blah blah.

Apparently Ireland Is Recovering Again!

huzzah!

That's quite the recovery.

Deep Thought

Pretty sure "so old girlfriends don't dish on me in national magazines" is reason enough to not want to be president.

Lunch Thread

enjoy.

What's It All About Then

In the US, even homophobia often has its roots in racism...