Guardian.UK: Average gas price in US drops below $2 a gallon for the first time since 2004.
Good news. Price drops for consumer goods shipped by truck ... ? MIA?
Mashable: Dick Nixon on the Democrats: Hillary’s weak and Bernie’s clueless
HAH. Worth checking Nixon’s ‘72 platform for similarities to today. Never ignore history.
Atlantic: Clinton and Sanders Fight Over How to Tame Big Business.
Worthy read. Though I can’t help thinking articles like this award more historical background and altruistic motivation than actually exists - we saw this with the deep analyses of Obama’s policies, pre-election. No great shakes, in retrospect.
The Nation: Elizabeth Warren Blasts a Republican Plan to Protect White-Collar Criminals.
“ Banks or payment processors would no longer be held criminally responsible for simply aiding fraudulent activity involving customer accounts, since the fraud was not primarily conducted by the bank, nor against it.” What the bloody hell? Mattresses, not banks. Mattresses. I’m convinced.
The Register.UK: US taxmen borked in computer cockup riddle.
Town and Country: New Study Finds Scented Candles and Air Fresheners Pose Dangerous Health Risks.
“Some types of incense, such as agarwood and sandalwood, are even more toxic to our DNA than tobacco smoke.” I suspect this is a niche where the use of natural fragrance is proving to be more toxic than artificial fragrance.
Tangential - because of strong smells [the wife complained], I went out and replaced our commercial household cleaners with ‘natural’ ingredient brands. I’ll cut to the chase. They took a layer of skin off my hands, they were so caustic. And the smells may be ‘natural’, but my eyes were weeping. I’m now using gloves to do rudimentary cleaning, thanks to ‘all natural.’
I wanna go back to “Scrubbing Bubbles.” But I’ve got to use up this huge investment in ‘nature’. Damned stuff is pricey, in addition to being lethal.
Ana White: Build a Leave it to Joy Triple Pedestal Wide Farmhouse Table.
A little extra detail work, this might end up an heirloom piece.
McSweeney’s Internet Tendency: Ayn Rand’s Objectivist House Hunters.
Hah, but also sad.
New Economic Perspectives: Tax Credits and Dollars—Playing Charades with Low-Income Housing.
“Affordable housing has leveraged more than $100 billion in tax credits for American corporations.” If true ... jeez.
Valet.: The Wallet Backup.
Take photos? Brilliant.
BBC: Oregon stand-off - Robert ‘LaVoy’ Finicum, a militiaman apart.
The leaders always seem to avoid consequences, the ‘true believers’ end up cannon fodder. He will be more powerful as a symbol now, because it is his words that will be reused, not the Bundys. What he asked for is more local control, more local decision-making - not at all unreasonable. Tax cuts and Republicanism have robbed Federal oversight of those features. The ironies are clear.
I feel so bad about his death, even though I did not agree with the methods used by these guys. I wish I could help his family.
Italian Ways: The ghosts of the Fumone Castle.
“Every castle must have a ghost, but Fumone has two – and famous ones, belonging to two popes.” One was allegedly killed by having a nail driven in his skull, on orders from the newer pope. Nice guys.
Atlantic: Heartland Monitor Poll Shows American Pessimism Deepening Despite Improving Economy.
“... the slow, unevenly distributed recovery that has marked its aftermath—crystallized for many Americans a new normal, one that presents them with reduced economic security and heightened risk even while it provides them with new opportunities and flexibility.” Offered sans comment, for now.
Valet.: Embrace Your Mess.
“Being in a messy room led to something that both industries and societies want more of: Creativity.”
SciAm: Switch to Clean Energy Can Be Fast and Cheap.
Guardian.UK: Global oil glut sends US stock markets plummeting.
They cost us at the pump, they cost us in our retirement accounts and investments. Not fair.
Mashable: Hardcore Amish horse and buggy pulls tanker truck out of snow.
One of the only situations where you’ll see four horsepower beating 600 plus.
Economist.UK: The centre cannot hold.
“Congress used to be full of members like Mr Hanna and Mr Israel: moderates who reflected the middle-class, middle-of-the-road districts that elected them. They are an endangered species, and worth heeding. Congress will not be saved without them.” A little article that reveals more about what’s wrong with our political process than most. Worth your read. Very much so.
Economist.UK: A tangled web.
We across the pond often look fondly over at the British pensioners. Seems even Britain can’t resist fiddling to save $$.
NY Times: This Time, Cheaper Oil Does Little for the U.S. Economy.
And it won’t, unless producers reduce their costs reflecting transportation $ savings. Remember the big brouhaha over food prices, back when gas got expensive? I don’t see any discounts at the grocers. Greedy buggers. Trickle-down to employees? Pffffft.
Guardian.UK: Is going off the grid selfish? For many, it’s the only option that makes sense.
“New suburbs and sub-divisions are being proposed that will not be connected at all, preferring instead micro-grids that rely mostly on renewable energy and storage. Retirement communities – keen to lock in and control costs – are considering doing the same.” Santa Fe should be doing this!
NY Times: America’s Best Days May Be Behind It.
“Americans like to think they live in an era of rapid and unprecedented change, but this kind of comparison — pitting the momentous changes of the mid-20th century against the seemingly more modest progress of our present era — raises a critical question about the nation’s future prosperity.” Feels like we’re doing a lot of flailing sometimes.
The Local.IT: Live like Michelangelo - Artist’s Tuscan villa is up for sale.
“Art lovers take note: a sprawling villa once owned by the artist and sculptor Michelangelo Buonarroti is on the market. And if you have a few million to spare, the masterpiece could be yours.” Just don’t Pieta in the courtyard.