Thursday, January 31, 2013

@2:45, 1/31/13

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Power is restored @22:42



1
Opinion

It’s P.Q. and C.Q. as Much as I.Q.

By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN | Jan 30, 2013
The Great Inflection has transformed the world over the past decade. Each individual has to adapt.
Computers and the Internet; Recession and Depression; Productivity; Labor and Jobs;

What I see is deleveraging  across the board.
Everyone is trying to pay down debt simultaneously.
Only the government can borrow and that is prevented by the GOP.

2
World

U.S. Analysts See Opportunity if North Korea Tests Nuclear Bomb

DAVID E. SANGER and WILLIAM J. BROAD | Jan 31, 2013
Though nations have urged the North not to conduct the test, American officials say such a blast could yield much-needed insights into the North’s nuclear program.
United States International Relations; Nuclear Weapons; Uranium; Nuclear Tests; Espionage and Intelligence Services; Nuclear Energy;
3
Opinion

'Hurrah for Old Abe'

By RICHARD STRINER | Jan 29, 2013
What Americans, North and South, thought of the Emancipation Proclamation.
Civil War (US) (1861-65); Emancipation Proclamation (1863); Slavery;
4
U.S.

Perry Changes Tack on Rainy Day Fund

By MANNY FERNANDEZ | Jan 30, 2013
In his State of the State address, Gov. Rick Perry of Texas urged lawmakers to draw $3.7 billion for infrastructure projects, 12 years after warning that the Rainy Day Fund should not be touched.
Speeches and Statements; Budgets and Budgeting; Infrastructure (Public Works);
5
Opinion

Teacher Evaluations in New York

Jan 31, 2013
Teachers, retired and working, respond to an editorial.
Tests and Examinations; Education (K-12); Performance Evaluations (Labor); Teachers and School Employees;
6
Education

Law Schools’ Applications Fall as Costs Rise and Jobs Are Cut

By ETHAN BRONNER | Jan 31, 2013
Applications are headed for a 30-year low, reflecting increased concern over soaring tuition, crushing student debt and diminishing prospects of lucrative employment upon graduation.
Education; Law Schools; Legal Profession; Labor and Jobs; Colleges and Universities;
7
U.S.

Federal Rule Limits Aid to Families Who Can’t Afford Employers’ Health Coverage

Jan 31, 2013
In deciding whether an employer’s health plan is affordable, the Internal Revenue Service said it would look at the cost of coverage only for an individual, not for a family.
Health Insurance and Managed Care; Regulation and Deregulation of Industry; Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (2010); Income; Federal Aid (US); Children and Childhood;
8
Fashion & Style

Bending and Breathing to Fashionable Wills

By BEE-SHYUAN CHANG | Jan 31, 2013
Celebrities and yoga are on the menu at a fund-raiser for a nonprofit organization that brings the practice to public schools.
Yoga; Parties (Social); Fashion and Apparel;
9
U.S.

Internet and Federal Act Ease Overseas U.S. Voting

By BRIAN KNOWLTON | Jan 31, 2013
The growing use of technology and a 2009 law reponding to complaints about a frustrating system seem to have helped streamline the process.
Americans Abroad; Absentee Voting; Voting and Voters; Computers and the Internet; Presidential Election of 2012; Presidential Election of 2008;
10
Opinion

Harsh Abortion Curbs

Jan 30, 2013
The author of a book about abortion writes about desperate measures women will take to end an unwanted pregnancy.
Abortion; Birth Control and Family Planning; Roe v Wade (Supreme Court Decision); Pregnancy and Childbirth;
11
World

Afghans Bristle at U.S. Ban on Airline

By ALISSA J. RUBIN | Jan 31, 2013
Allegations of opium smuggling halted military contracts, and some American officials, too, have quietly questioned the response.
Drug Abuse and Traffic; United States International Relations; Afghanistan War (2001- ); Airlines and Airplanes; Smuggling;
12
Opinion

When the Music Stopped

By ANTÔNIO XERXENESKY | Jan 31, 2013
The calamity in Santa Maria revealed the best and the worst of Brazilian society.
Bars and Nightclubs; News and News Media; Youth; Fires and Firefighters;
13
Business Day

When Corruption Helps the Bottom Line

By MICHAEL S. PAGANO | Jan 28, 2013
A recent study found that the most corrupt countries like Venezuela are actually better for investors than moderately corrupt countries like Morocco or Mexico.
Bribery and Kickbacks; Corruption (Institutional); Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (1977); Foreign Investments; Stocks and Bonds;
14
Technology

Hackers in China Attacked The Times for Last 4 Months

By NICOLE PERLROTH | Jan 31, 2013
Security experts said the attacks, which coincided with a report on China’s prime minister, employed tactics used by Chinese hackers.
Cyberattacks and Hackers; Computer Security; Computers and the Internet;
15
Opinion

Paying Doctors for Performance

Jan 28, 2013
New York City’s public hospital system is moving away from cost-of-living increases.
Doctors; Hospitals; Reform and Reorganization; Health Insurance and Managed Care; Wages and Salaries; Editorials;
16
Opinion

The Hidden Prosperity of the Poor

By THOMAS B. EDSALL | Jan 30, 2013
Is life on the bottom and in the middle better than it seems?
Federal Taxes (US); Income Inequality; Poverty; United States Economy;
17
Health

For Some Caregivers, the Trauma Lingers

By JUDITH GRAHAM | Jan 30, 2013
Some caregivers struggle with intrusive thoughts and memories months and even years after a loved one has died.
Elderly; Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder; Psychology and Psychologists;
18
Opinion

Keep the Fishing Ban in New England

By CALLUM ROBERTS | Jan 31, 2013
Depleted stocks are still recovering from over-exploitation.
Fishing, Commercial; Fish and Other Marine Life;
19
N.Y. / Region

Missed Connection on the R Train

By JACQUELINE KLAPAK | Jan 29, 2013
Metropolitan Diary: A man sitting alone on the R train catches the attention of a female passenger too shy to speak.
Love (Emotion); Poetry and Poets; Subways;
20
U.S.

South Carolina: New Clues in 1864 Submarine Deaths

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS | Jan 29, 2013
Scientists believe that the Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley may have been close enough to the enemy warship it sank that the crew was knocked unconscious by the explosion.
Maritime Accidents and Safety; Civil War (US) (1861-65);











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Posted by at No comments:

@12:00, 1/31/13

Power failure.

Still out.
Posted by at No comments:

late

New blackberry will be delayed in the US market.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/31/technology/blackberry-maker-unveils-its-new-line.html

"Analysts are concerned about how long it will take for the phones to go on sale in the United States. BlackBerry said the Z10 would be available in Canada on Feb. 5 and in the United States in March. Verizon Wireless announced that it would sell the Z10 for $200 with a two-year contract. BlackBerry 10 phones will also be carried by AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile, but those companies said they would announce prices later. "

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/01/30/rim_bb10_launch_event/

By Andrew Orlowski • Get more from this author
Posted in Mobile, 30th January 2013 17:22 GMT
Free whitepaper – Enabling Datacenter and Cloud Service Management for Mid-Tier Enterprises
Pic As expected, RIM today unveiled its much-delayed QNX-powered smartphone operating system, BlackBerry OS 10, along with two new handsets. The Canadian company also changed its name from Research In Motion to BlackBerry along the way.
(It's quite a drastic way of evading our double entendres, but needs must.)
The first device out of the blocks is a Z10 touchscreen phone with no front buttons, a 1280x768 4.2inch screen at 356ppi, 8MP and 2MP cameras, and a 1800mAh removable battery promising 10 hours of talk time. It supports 4G mobile broadband (such as that provided by EE in the UK), NFC, n-spec Wi-Fi, a microSD card slot and mini-HDMI output. Weighing 135g it won't tear a hole in your trouser pocket.
The second handset revealed at today's launch event, the Q10, has a conventional physical QWERTY keyboard with a 720x720 pixel 3.1in screen at 330pi.
The RIM BlackBerry comeback is predicated on software, built on the embedded microkernel OS QNX that's been in cars, nuclear power plants and elsewhere; it's a very strong design we described as "brutally utilitarian" when we saw it last year.
The new BlackBerrys sport a card-based user-interface design, similar to WebOS, that's based around a messaging hub. BB10 has an iPhone-Android-like grid of applications, but the system is so well thought-out it's rarely needed. In your humble writer's opinion, it all works rather well, and is allied to a clever onscreen keyboard that provides probably the best messaging and keyboard combination on a mobile.
A round-up of the Z10's specifications Graphic: Crackberry.com
One feature not seen until today was BlackBerry Messenger video-calling with screen sharing. Another is system-wide metadata, so any application can access Evernote's tags or Outlook notes.
BlackBerry has worked hard to fill in the gaps in BB OS 10's third-party software catalogue. Some notable absentees - such as Angry Birds, Skype, Amazon Kindle, and SAP - are promised to turn up eventually as developers are said to be "committed" to the platform.
RIM BlackBerry said the Z10 will be available right away.
There's strong carrier support for BlackBerry; operators are fearful of an Apple-Android duopoly but nervous about the lack of demand for Windows Phone. The Z10 gets support from all four major US carriers and all five UK networks; Carphone Warehouse and Phones4U have stock available in the UK tomorrow. Canada is a week behind.
There's no word on availability and pricing of the Q10. We'll update you with a hands-on review as soon as possible. ®
Posted by at No comments:

Sleep

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Heading for bed.

I must get in sync with the world.





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Posted by at No comments:

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

@3:15, 1/30/13

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+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

@10:30


1
World

Gallows Humor, and Smog, Engulf China

By DIDI KIRSTEN TATLOW | Jan 29, 2013
As Beijing and large parts of the country suffer persistent, heavy smog, a former environment chief blamed chaotic economic growth, rooted in a "rule of men," not law, for the mess.
Air Pollution; Economic Conditions and Trends; Environment; Hazardous and Toxic Substances; Water Pollution; 

China did this because the alternative was worse.
 
2
Opinion

It’s P.Q. and C.Q. as Much as I.Q.

By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN | Jan 30, 2013
The Great Inflection has transformed the world over the past decade. Each individual has to adapt.
Computers and the Internet; Recession and Depression; Productivity; Labor and Jobs;

Thomas Friedman is making a valiant missionary effort.
Management has captured the productivity gains and the regulatory system portion of government.
 
3
Opinion

Invitation to a Dialogue: Forcing Treatment

Jan 30, 2013
A psychiatrist says mandated mental health care “may create more problems than it solves.” Readers are invited to respond.
Psychiatry and Psychiatrists; Mental Health and Disorders; 

Dr. Gordon is not listening to the public here.
I suspect he is listening to his own inner voices.
I have heard no call to immure the insane.
I have heard rather 
a call to discover the violent and control their destructive drive.  

4
N.Y. / Region

Man Arrested in Attacks on Asians in East Harlem

By J. DAVID GOODMAN | Jan 30, 2013
Jason Commisso, who was removed from a bus in New Jersey, had been identified as a suspect in a string of robberies over the past two weeks.
Robberies and Thefts; Asian-Americans; Hate Crimes; 

No detail on the man as yet.
This is different policing than we have had.
 
5
Opinion

Leading the Way Out of Debt

By TINA ROSENBERG | Jan 30, 2013
New York City's network of Financial Empowerment Centers, which help poor clients take control of their finances, is a model for the rest of the nation.
Budgets and Budgeting; Credit Cards; Financial Planners; Personal Finances; Savings;

This seems a very necessary service.  I am glad it exists.
The same approach should not be applied to sovereign debt in a national currency.  There debt can rise to the point interest payments become intolerable.  
National and individual debt are different.
 
6
Science

Lost Actors in a Haunting Landscape

By JEFF OPPERMAN | Jan 30, 2013
From tigers to wild cattle, many wild animals have faded from view in the forests and savannas of southern Laos.
Animals; Bears; Forests and Forestry; Logging Industry;
7
Style

Does Championing Marriage Exclude Single Parents?

By KJ DELL'ANTONIA | Jan 29, 2013
There's more to the story of what makes raising children more difficult as a single parent than just the lack of a partner.
Families and Family Life; Marriages; Parenting; Same-Sex Marriage, Civil Unions and Domestic Partnerships;
8
N.Y. / Region

Still on Strike, a Bus Union Sees a Threat to Its Culture

By AL BAKER | Jan 28, 2013
Decades of job protections are threatened as New York City moves to end some seniority-based job guarantees, which has led to a strike.
Buses; Strikes; Organized Labor; Education (K-12);
9
World

Israel Girds for Attacks as Syria Falls Apart

By JODI RUDOREN and ANNE BARNARD | Jan 28, 2013
At least one Iron Dome missile defense battery was deployed in northern Israel amid reports that Syria’s chemical weapons could possibly fall into Hezbollah’s hands.
Middle East and North Africa Unrest (2010- ); Defense and Military Forces; Refugees and Displaced Persons; Biological and Chemical Warfare;
10
Sports

For Former Kicker, the Price of Fearlessness

By BRETT MICHAEL DYKES | Jan 28, 2013
Tom Dempsey’s love of hitting people on the football field may very well be responsible for the dementia that is slowly depriving him of the hard-hitting memories he so delights in sharing.
Dementia; Football; Memory; Brain;
11
Sunday Review

Your Biggest Carbon Sin May Be Air Travel

By ELISABETH ROSENTHAL | Jan 27, 2013
With President Obama declaring climate change a part of his second-term agenda, all eyes are on the United States on the matter of airlines’ carbon emissions.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions; Airlines and Airplanes; Carbon Dioxide;
12
Business Day

Boeing Battery Was a Concern Before Failure

By CHRISTOPHER DREW, HIROKO TABUCHI and JAD MOUAWAD | Jan 30, 2013
Even before battery failures led to the grounding of all Boeing 787 jets, there were problems that raised questions about their reliability.
Batteries; Airlines and Airplanes; Lithium (Metal); Defective Products; Aviation Accidents and Safety;
13
World

Catholics Mobilize to Defeat Philippine Politicians Who Backed Reproductive Law

By FLOYD WHALEY | Jan 30, 2013
After a stinging setback, Catholic groups hope to influence congressional elections in May that could put the church’s political power to the test.
Birth Control and Family Planning; Elections; Sex Education; Law and Legislation; Religion-State Relations;
14
U.S.

Scout Plan to Allow Gays Ignites Debates on Local Level

By KIRK JOHNSON | Jan 30, 2013
The Boy Scouts of America’s decision to move away from its national policy banning gays has elicited online responses from thousands — ranging from anguish to opprobrium and approval.
Homosexuality; Discrimination; Reform and Reorganization; Religion and Belief;
15
Business Day

It's Pensioners on the Side of Hedge Funds Making Their Case Against Argentina

By PETER EAVIS | Jan 29, 2013
Several holdouts from a debt swap who are pensioners traveled to New York, a month before an appeals court is to make an important decision on a legal case that has pitted the hedge fund manager Paul Singer against the government of Argentina.
Decisions and Verdicts; Government Bonds; Hedge Funds; Pensions and Retirement Plans;
16
Real Estate

Seeing Big Promise in Manhattan Corporate Apartments

By JANE L. LEVERE | Jan 30, 2013
Silverstein Properties, the developer of the World Trade Center complex, is converting the Beekman Tower Hotel into luxury corporate dwellings.
Renting and Leasing (Real Estate); Real Estate and Housing (Residential); Real Estate (Commercial); World Trade Center (NYC); Restoration and Renovation;
17
Business Day

Would You Pay $6.2 Million for This Business?

By JOSH PATRICK | Jan 30, 2013
According to the broker, this company has strong profits, more than three times the industry average. I would be eager to look under the hood and find out how the company has produced those results.
Building (Construction); Mergers, Acquisitions and Divestitures; Small Business;
18
Opinion

Paying Doctors for Performance

Jan 28, 2013
New York City’s public hospital system is moving away from cost-of-living increases.
Doctors; Hospitals; Reform and Reorganization; Health Insurance and Managed Care; Wages and Salaries; Editorials;
19
U.S.

G.O.P.’s Cantor, Looking Past Politics of Debt

By JONATHAN WEISMAN | Jan 28, 2013
Representative Eric Cantor is reasserting himself in the House after Republican election losses, with plans to unveil softer proposals beyond reining in the debt.
Federal Budget (US); United States Politics and Government; National Debt (US); United States Economy;
20
World

Once More Unto the Breach for Britain

By ALAN COWELL | Jan 29, 2013
Prime Minister David Cameron's speech on the European Union, as well as the response to it, show the historical ambivalence between Britain and Continent is alive and well.
European Sovereign Debt Crisis (2010- ); Euro (Currency);


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
@20:00

1
World

Gallows Humor, and Smog, Engulf China

By DIDI KIRSTEN TATLOW | Jan 29, 2013
As Beijing and large parts of the country suffer persistent, heavy smog, a former environment chief blamed chaotic economic growth, rooted in a "rule of men," not law, for the mess.
Air Pollution; Economic Conditions and Trends; Environment; Hazardous and Toxic Substances; Water Pollution;
2
Opinion

It’s P.Q. and C.Q. as Much as I.Q.

By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN | Jan 30, 2013
The Great Inflection has transformed the world over the past decade. Each individual has to adapt.
Computers and the Internet; Recession and Depression; Productivity; Labor and Jobs;
3
Opinion

Invitation to a Dialogue: Forcing Treatment

Jan 30, 2013
A psychiatrist says mandated mental health care “may create more problems than it solves.” Readers are invited to respond.
Psychiatry and Psychiatrists; Mental Health and Disorders;
4
N.Y. / Region

Man Arrested in Attacks on Asians in East Harlem

By J. DAVID GOODMAN | Jan 30, 2013
Jason Commisso, who was removed from a bus in New Jersey, had been identified as a suspect in a string of robberies over the past two weeks.
Robberies and Thefts; Asian-Americans; Hate Crimes;
5
Opinion

Leading the Way Out of Debt

By TINA ROSENBERG | Jan 30, 2013
New York City's network of Financial Empowerment Centers, which help poor clients take control of their finances, is a model for the rest of the nation.
Budgets and Budgeting; Credit Cards; Financial Planners; Personal Finances; Savings;
6
Science

Lost Actors in a Haunting Landscape

By JEFF OPPERMAN | Jan 30, 2013
From tigers to wild cattle, many wild animals have faded from view in the forests and savannas of southern Laos.
Animals; Bears; Forests and Forestry; Logging Industry; 

Educating the women is the best bet for depopulation.
The problem is too many people.
 
7
Style

Does Championing Marriage Exclude Single Parents?

By KJ DELL'ANTONIA | Jan 29, 2013
There's more to the story of what makes raising children more difficult as a single parent than just the lack of a partner.
Families and Family Life; Marriages; Parenting; Same-Sex Marriage, Civil Unions and Domestic Partnerships; 

I could find no reasoning in this post.
 
8
N.Y. / Region

Still on Strike, a Bus Union Sees a Threat to Its Culture

By AL BAKER | Jan 28, 2013
Decades of job protections are threatened as New York City moves to end some seniority-based job guarantees, which has led to a strike.
Buses; Strikes; Organized Labor; Education (K-12); 

The city is taking on scabs.  This action is union busting as is the action of hiding behind a doubtful court ruling.
 
9
World

Israel Girds for Attacks as Syria Falls Apart

By JODI RUDOREN and ANNE BARNARD | Jan 28, 2013
At least one Iron Dome missile defense battery was deployed in northern Israel amid reports that Syria’s chemical weapons could possibly fall into Hezbollah’s hands.
Middle East and North Africa Unrest (2010- ); Defense and Military Forces; Refugees and Displaced Persons; Biological and Chemical Warfare; 

Israel could possibly trade safe passage to Jordan for the Golan and northern peace.
 
10
Sports

For Former Kicker, the Price of Fearlessness

By BRETT MICHAEL DYKES | Jan 28, 2013
Tom Dempsey’s love of hitting people on the football field may very well be responsible for the dementia that is slowly depriving him of the hard-hitting memories he so delights in sharing.
Dementia; Football; Memory; Brain; 

There are good reasons to retire the game of football.
It won't happen soon.
 
11
Sunday Review

Your Biggest Carbon Sin May Be Air Travel

By ELISABETH ROSENTHAL | Jan 27, 2013
With President Obama declaring climate change a part of his second-term agenda, all eyes are on the United States on the matter of airlines’ carbon emissions.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions; Airlines and Airplanes; Carbon Dioxide; 

"For many people reading this, air travel is their most serious environmental sin. One round-trip flight from New York to Europe or to San Francisco creates a warming effect equivalent to 2 or 3 tons of carbon dioxide per person. The average American generates about 19 tons of carbon dioxide a year; the average European, 10.
So if you take five long flights a year, they may well account for three-quarters of the emissions you create. “For many people in New York City, who don’t drive much and live in apartments, this is probably going to be by far the largest part of their carbon footprint,” says Anja Kollmuss, a Zurich-based environmental consultant." 
Elisabeth Rosenthal should take a refresher course in statistics.
19 tons of carbon is an average.  From that I can't say anything about individual behavior.
The two to three tons is probably the fuel load for the airplane. 
At $3 per gallon, $.375 per pound times 6,000 = $2,250.00 for fuel.
Divide by 100 passengers, $22.50 per passenger, or 60 pounds of carbon per passenger or 7.5 gallons of fuel.  This is the right ballpark.  Thirty years ago the marginal price of a filled seat was about ten bucks.
It is far better to fly.

12
Business Day

Boeing Battery Was a Concern Before Failure

By CHRISTOPHER DREW, HIROKO TABUCHI and JAD MOUAWAD | Jan 30, 2013
Even before battery failures led to the grounding of all Boeing 787 jets, there were problems that raised questions about their reliability.
Batteries; Airlines and Airplanes; Lithium (Metal); Defective Products; Aviation Accidents and Safety; 

Just teething troubles.  
I expect Boeing has certified nickle cadmium as a backup.
Nickle silver would be well worth the premium.

13
World

Catholics Mobilize to Defeat Philippine Politicians Who Backed Reproductive Law

By FLOYD WHALEY | Jan 30, 2013
After a stinging setback, Catholic groups hope to influence congressional elections in May that could put the church’s political power to the test.
Birth Control and Family Planning; Elections; Sex Education; Law and Legislation; Religion-State Relations; 

The Roman church should back off.
We may hear the the cry: "No Popery" again.
The English Civil War was a mess I would rather not revisit.

14
U.S.

Scout Plan to Allow Gays Ignites Debates on Local Level

By KIRK JOHNSON | Jan 30, 2013
The Boy Scouts of America’s decision to move away from its national policy banning gays has elicited online responses from thousands — ranging from anguish to opprobrium and approval.
Homosexuality; Discrimination; Reform and Reorganization; Religion and Belief; 

It is time this policy changed.
Scouting has been ignoring their motto, "Be prepared" too long.
 
15
Business Day

It's Pensioners on the Side of Hedge Funds Making Their Case Against Argentina

By PETER EAVIS | Jan 29, 2013
Several holdouts from a debt swap who are pensioners traveled to New York, a month before an appeals court is to make an important decision on a legal case that has pitted the hedge fund manager Paul Singer against the government of Argentina.
Decisions and Verdicts; Government Bonds; Hedge Funds; Pensions and Retirement Plans; 

Argentina is sovereign.  
U.S. law does not run there. The court has no standing other than by treaty.
Query the state department.
 
16
Real Estate

Seeing Big Promise in Manhattan Corporate Apartments

By JANE L. LEVERE | Jan 30, 2013
Silverstein Properties, the developer of the World Trade Center complex, is converting the Beekman Tower Hotel into luxury corporate dwellings.
Renting and Leasing (Real Estate); Real Estate and Housing (Residential); Real Estate (Commercial); World Trade Center (NYC); Restoration and Renovation; 

The numbers do not make sense. 
This is whistling in the dark.
 
17
Business Day

Would You Pay $6.2 Million for This Business?

By JOSH PATRICK | Jan 30, 2013
According to the broker, this company has strong profits, more than three times the industry average. I would be eager to look under the hood and find out how the company has produced those results.
Building (Construction); Mergers, Acquisitions and Divestitures; Small Business; 

No.  
I do not want to be in the air conditioning repair business.
The technology is changing rapidly.  
Retrofit is probably impossible.
Insurance costs are about to balloon.
I will take handy-man work if cash is required. 
I want to do my work, not the management of others work.
 
18
Opinion

Paying Doctors for Performance

Jan 28, 2013
New York City’s public hospital system is moving away from cost-of-living increases.
Doctors; Hospitals; Reform and Reorganization; Health Insurance and Managed Care; Wages and Salaries; Editorials; 

This program rewards people who do not control the cost.
 
19
U.S.

G.O.P.’s Cantor, Looking Past Politics of Debt

By JONATHAN WEISMAN | Jan 28, 2013
Representative Eric Cantor is reasserting himself in the House after Republican election losses, with plans to unveil softer proposals beyond reining in the debt.
Federal Budget (US); United States Politics and Government; National Debt (US); United States Economy; 

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/29/incestuous-amplification-economics-edition/
88 Comments

Incestuous Amplification, Economics Edition

Back during the early days of the Iraq debacle, I learned that the military has a term for how highly dubious ideas become not just accepted, but viewed as certainties. “Incestuous amplification” happen when a closed group of people repeat the same things to each other – and when accepting the group’s preconceptions itself becomes a necessary ticket to being in the in-group. A fundamentally flawed notion – say, that the Germans can’t possibly attack though the Ardennes – becomes part of what everyone knows, where “everyone” means by definition only people who accept the flawed notion.
We saw that in the run-up to Iraq, where perfectly obvious propositions – the case for invading is very weak, the occupation may well be a nightmare – weren’t so much rejected as ruled out of discussion altogether; if you even considered those possibilities, you weren’t a serious person, no matter what your credentials.
Which brings me to the fiscal debate, characterized by the particular form of incestuous amplification Greg Sargent calls the Beltway Deficit Feedback Loop. I’ve already blogged about my Morning Joe appearance and Scarborough’s reaction, which was to insist that almost no mainstream economists share my view that deficit fear is vastly overblown. As Joe Weisenthal points out, the reality is that among those who have expressed views very similar to mine are the chief economist of Goldman Sachs; the former Treasury secretary and head of the National Economic Council; the former deputy chairman of the Federal Reserve; and the economics editor of the Financial Times. The point isn’t that these people are necessarily right (although they are), it is that Scarborough’s attempt at argument through authority is easily refuted by even a casual stroll through recent economic punditry.
But these people aren’t part of the in-group, and if they do make it into the in-group’s conversation at all, it’s only by blurring their message sufficiently that the in-group doesn’t understand it.
And at this point, of course, all the Very Serious People have committed their reputations so thoroughly to the official doctrine that they almost literally can’t hear any contrary evidence."

280 Comments

From Welfare Queens to Disabled Deadbeats

If you want to understand the trouble Republicans are in, one good place to start is with the obsession the right has lately developed with the rising disability rolls. The growing number of Americans receiving disability payments has, for many on the right, become a symbol of our economic and moral decay; we’re becoming a nation of malingerers.
As Jared Bernstein points out, there’s a factual problem here: a large part of the rise in the disability rolls reflects simple demographics, because aging baby boomers are a lot more likely to have real ailments than those same workers did when they were in their 20s and 30s. The Social Security Administration does a formal adjustment for this reality, and as Jared says, it looks like this:
It looks a lot less dramatic, doesn’t it?
And as for the rest of what’s going on, CBO — which also concludes (pdf) that a lot of it is demographics — adds this description of policy changes:
In 1984, lawmakers enacted the Disability Benefits Reform Act, which expanded the ways in which people could qualify for the DI program. That legislation, in addition to reversing several of the cost-containment measures enacted as part of the 1980 Social Security Disability Amendments, shifted the criteria for DI eligibility from a list of specific impairments to a more general consideration of a person’s medical condition and ability to work. The legislation allowed applicants to qualify for benefits on the basis of the combined effect of multiple medical conditions, each of which taken alone might not have met the criteria. It also allowed symptoms of mental illness and pain to be considered in assessing whether a person qualified for admission to the DI program, even in the absence of a clear-cut medical diagnosis.
So yes, there has been some liberalization of the criteria — if you have multiple interacting conditions or mental illness, you may qualify in ways you didn’t before — but that liberalization is pretty reasonable. It’s still quite hard to qualify for DI.
What strikes me, however, isn’t just the way the right is trying to turn a reasonable development into some kind of outrage; it’s the political tone-deafness.
I mean, when Reagan ranted about welfare queens driving Cadillacs, he was inventing a fake problem — but his rant resonated with angry white voters, who understood perfectly well who Reagan was targeting. But Americans on disability as moochers? That isn’t, as far as I can tell, an especially nonwhite group — and it’s a group that is surely as likely to elicit sympathy as disdain. There’s just no way it can serve the kind of political purpose the old welfare-kicking rhetoric used to perform.
The same goes, more broadly, for the whole nation of takers thing. First of all, a lot of the “taking” involves Social Security and Medicare. And even the growth in means-tested programs is largely accounted for by the Earned Income Tax Credit — which requires and rewards work — and the expansion of Medicaid/CHIP to cover more children. Again, not the greatest of political targets.
The point, I think, is that right-wing intellectuals and politicians live in a bubble in which denunciations of those bums on disability and those greedy children getting free health care are greeted with shouts of approval — but now have to deal with a country where the same remarks come across as greedy and heartless (because they are).
And I don’t think this is a problem that can be solved with a slight change in the rhetoric."
 
20
World

Once More Unto the Breach for Britain

By ALAN COWELL | Jan 29, 2013
Prime Minister David Cameron's speech on the European Union, as well as the response to it, show the historical ambivalence between Britain and Continent is alive and well.
European Sovereign Debt Crisis (2010- ); Euro (Currency); 

Britain is leaving the EU very soon.  Cameron will be out first.
The wheels are falling off.  The powers are denying it.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

@23:10


1
Business Day

Renewable Energy Industries Push for New Financing Options

By DIANE CARDWELL | Jan 30, 2013
With government approval, investment structures more commonly used by the oil, gas and real estate industries could make wind and solar companies more appealing to investors.
Alternative and Renewable Energy; Corporate Taxes; Federal Taxes (US); Real Estate Investment Trusts; Tax Credits, Deductions and Exemptions;

No ability to bribe.
 
2
Opinion

It’s P.Q. and C.Q. as Much as I.Q.

By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN | Jan 30, 2013
The Great Inflection has transformed the world over the past decade. Each individual has to adapt.
Computers and the Internet; Recession and Depression; Productivity; Labor and Jobs; 

A work of fiction.
 
3
Business Day

A Warning to Wall Street About Misleading Clients

By ADRIENNE CARTER | Jan 30, 2013
The charges against Jesse Litvak, a former securities trader at Jefferies & Company, serve as a warning to Wall Street that misleading customers - including sophisticated ones - can result in criminal action, even for a broker who does not owe a fiduciary duty to clients.
Frauds and Swindling; Mortgage-Backed Securities; Subprime Mortgage Crisis; 

More of the same.
 
4
Sunday Review

Your Biggest Carbon Sin May Be Air Travel

By ELISABETH ROSENTHAL | Jan 27, 2013
With President Obama declaring climate change a part of his second-term agenda, all eyes are on the United States on the matter of airlines’ carbon emissions.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions; Airlines and Airplanes; Carbon Dioxide; 

Bad logic and no understanding.
Flying is better.
 
5
Business Day

Boeing Battery Was a Concern Before Failure

By CHRISTOPHER DREW, HIROKO TABUCHI and JAD MOUAWAD | Jan 30, 2013
Even before battery failures led to the grounding of all Boeing 787 jets, there were problems that raised questions about their reliability.
Batteries; Airlines and Airplanes; Lithium (Metal); Defective Products; Aviation Accidents and Safety;

It won't get fixed by crying.
 
6
World

Catholics Mobilize to Defeat Philippine Politicians Who Backed Reproductive Law

By FLOYD WHALEY | Jan 30, 2013
After a stinging setback, Catholic groups hope to influence congressional elections in May that could put the church’s political power to the test.
Birth Control and Family Planning; Elections; Sex Education; Law and Legislation; Religion-State Relations; 

This may get the church out of the Philippines.
 
7
U.S.

Scout Plan to Allow Gays Ignites Debates on Local Level

By KIRK JOHNSON | Jan 30, 2013
The Boy Scouts of America’s decision to move away from its national policy banning gays has elicited online responses from thousands — ranging from anguish to opprobrium and approval.
Homosexuality; Discrimination; Reform and Reorganization; Religion and Belief; 

It is not a done deal yet.
 
8
Health

Myths of Weight Loss Are Plentiful, Researcher Says

By GINA KOLATA | Jan 30, 2013
A study tries to set the record straight on unproven assumptions that have been repeated so often that even scientists have tended to believe them.
Food; Medicine and Health; Obesity; Weight; 

Yes.
 
9
Real Estate

Seeing Big Promise in Manhattan Corporate Apartments

By JANE L. LEVERE | Jan 30, 2013
Silverstein Properties, the developer of the World Trade Center complex, is converting the Beekman Tower Hotel into luxury corporate dwellings.
Renting and Leasing (Real Estate); Real Estate and Housing (Residential); Real Estate (Commercial); World Trade Center (NYC); Restoration and Renovation; 

Dreaming.
 
10
Business Day

It's Pensioners on the Side of Hedge Funds Making Their Case Against Argentina

By PETER EAVIS | Jan 29, 2013
Several holdouts from a debt swap who are pensioners traveled to New York, a month before an appeals court is to make an important decision on a legal case that has pitted the hedge fund manager Paul Singer against the government of Argentina.
Decisions and Verdicts; Government Bonds; Hedge Funds; Pensions and Retirement Plans; 

No standing.
 
11
U.S.

G.O.P.’s Cantor, Looking Past Politics of Debt

By JONATHAN WEISMAN | Jan 28, 2013
Representative Eric Cantor is reasserting himself in the House after Republican election losses, with plans to unveil softer proposals beyond reining in the debt.
Federal Budget (US); United States Politics and Government; National Debt (US); United States Economy; 

Dreaming
 
12
World

Once More Unto the Breach for Britain

By ALAN COWELL | Jan 29, 2013
Prime Minister David Cameron's speech on the European Union, as well as the response to it, show the historical ambivalence between Britain and Continent is alive and well.
European Sovereign Debt Crisis (2010- ); Euro (Currency); 

no.
 
13
Business Day

India Lowers Benchmark Interest Rate to Fuel Growth

By REUTERS | Jan 30, 2013
The cut was its first in nine months, but worries about inflation may prevent further policy easing, the central bank warns.
Interest Rates; Inflation (Economics); Indian Rupee (Currency); 

Just wrong.
 
14
Opinion

Paying Doctors for Performance

Jan 28, 2013
New York City’s public hospital system is moving away from cost-of-living increases.
Doctors; Hospitals; Reform and Reorganization; Health Insurance and Managed Care; Wages and Salaries; Editorials; 

Ineffective.
 
15
Business Day

Would You Pay $6.2 Million for This Business?

By JOSH PATRICK | Jan 30, 2013
According to the broker, this company has strong profits, more than three times the industry average. I would be eager to look under the hood and find out how the company has produced those results.
Building (Construction); Mergers, Acquisitions and Divestitures; Small Business; 

No.
 
16
Technology

Dickens, Austen and Twain, Through a Digital Lens

By STEVE LOHR | Jan 27, 2013
Big Data is pushing into the humanities, as evidenced by new, illuminating computer analyses of literary history.
Computers and the Internet; Books and Literature; Research; Writing and Writers; English Language; Data-Mining and Database Marketing; 

Desperation.

Read the newspapers of the period.
 
17
Health

For Some Caregivers, the Trauma Lingers

By JUDITH GRAHAM | Jan 30, 2013
Some caregivers struggle with intrusive thoughts and memories months and even years after a loved one has died.
Elderly; Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder; Psychology and Psychologists;

Yes.
 
18
Opinion

When Jim Crow Drank Coke

By GRACE ELIZABETH HALE | Jan 29, 2013
Behind the N.A.A.C.P. brief against Mayor Bloomberg’s soda restriction is a tangled history of race and prohibition.
Blacks; Prohibition Era (1920-1933); Soft Drinks; 

Back scratching.
19
Opinion

Why Palestine Should Take Israel to Court in The Hague

By GEORGE BISHARAT | Jan 30, 2013
Palestinians should ask the International Criminal Court to prosecute Israeli war crimes.
Palestinians; War Crimes, Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity; Civilian Casualties; Israeli Settlements; Assassinations and Attempted Assassinations; 

I just don't care.  Israel should accept its victory and its new residents.
 
20
N.Y. / Region

Congress Approves $51 Billion in Aid for Hurricane Victims

By RAYMOND HERNANDEZ | Jan 29, 2013
The $51 billion package comes on top of nearly $10 billion that Congress approved this month to support the recovery efforts in states that were battered by Hurricane Sandy.
Hurricane Sandy (2012); Federal Aid (US); United States Politics and Government; 

The GOP needs New Jersey.




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1
Opinion

It’s P.Q. And C.Q. as Much as I.Q.

By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN | Jan 30, 2013
The Great Inflection has transformed the world over the past decade. Each individual has to adapt.
Computers and the Internet; Recession and Depression; Productivity; Labor and Jobs;

Fiction.
 
2
Opinion

Invitation to a Dialogue: Forcing Treatment

Jan 30, 2013
A psychiatrist says mandated mental health care “may create more problems than it solves.” Readers are invited to respond.
Psychiatry and Psychiatrists; Mental Health and Disorders;

Find the violent.  Fix them.
 
3
N.Y. / Region

Man Arrested in East Harlem Attacks on Asians

By J. DAVID GOODMAN | Jan 30, 2013
Jason Commisso, who was removed from a bus in New Jersey, had been identified as a suspect in a string of robberies over the past two weeks.
Robberies and Thefts; Asian-Americans; Hate Crimes;

No detail yet.
 
4
Sports

For Former Kicker, the Price of Fearlessness

By BRETT MICHAEL DYKES | Jan 28, 2013
Tom Dempsey’s love of hitting people on the football field may very well be responsible for the dementia that is slowly depriving him of the hard-hitting memories he so delights in sharing.
Dementia; Football; Memory; Brain;

We should ban football.  We will not soon.
5
N.Y. / Region

Still on Strike, a Bus Union Sees a Threat to Its Culture

By AL BAKER | Jan 28, 2013
Decades of job protections are threatened as New York City moves to end some seniority-based job guarantees, which has led to a strike.
Buses; Strikes; Organized Labor; Education (K-12);

Scabs.
 
6
Style

Does Championing Marriage Exclude Single Parents?

By KJ DELL'ANTONIA | Jan 29, 2013
There's more to the story of what makes raising children more difficult as a single parent than just the lack of a partner.
Families and Family Life; Marriages; Parenting; Same-Sex Marriage, Civil Unions and Domestic Partnerships;

There is no argument presented.
 
7
World

Israel Girds for Attacks as Syria Falls Apart

By JODI RUDOREN and ANNE BARNARD | Jan 28, 2013
At least one Iron Dome missile defense battery was deployed in northern Israel amid reports that Syria’s chemical weapons could possibly fall into Hezbollah’s hands.
Middle East and North Africa Unrest (2010- ); Defense and Military Forces; Refugees and Displaced Persons; Biological and Chemical Warfare;

Always.
 
8
Business Day

It's Pensioners on the Side of Hedge Funds Making Their Case Against Argentina

By PETER EAVIS | Jan 29, 2013
Several holdouts who are pensioners traveled to New York this week, a month before an appeals court is scheduled to make an important decision on a legal case that has pitted the hedge fund manager Paul Singer against the government of Argentina.
Decisions and Verdicts; Government Bonds; Hedge Funds; Pensions and Retirement Plans;

No standing.
9
Sunday Review

Your Biggest Carbon Sin May Be Air Travel

By ELISABETH ROSENTHAL | Jan 27, 2013
With President Obama declaring climate change a part of his second-term agenda, all eyes are on the United States on the matter of airlines’ carbon emissions.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions; Airlines and Airplanes; Carbon Dioxide;

No understanding here.
Flying is better.
 
10
Business Day

Boeing Aware of Battery Ills Before the Fires

By CHRISTOPHER DREW, HIROKO TABUCHI and JAD MOUAWAD | Jan 30, 2013
Even before battery failures led to the grounding of all Boeing 787 jets, there were problems that raised questions about their reliability.
Batteries; Airlines and Airplanes; Lithium (Metal); Defective Products; Aviation Accidents and Safety;

Excessive caution.  Use a different battery.
 
11
U.S.

Proposed Policy Shift on Gays Divides Scout Community

By KIRK JOHNSON | Jan 30, 2013
The Boy Scouts of America’s decision to move away from its national policy banning gays has elicited online responses from thousands — ranging from anguish to opprobrium and approval.
Homosexuality; Discrimination; Reform and Reorganization; Religion and Belief;

This is not a done deal yet.
 
12
World

Catholics Mobilize After Setback Over Philippines Reproductive Law

By FLOYD WHALEY | Jan 30, 2013
Catholic groups hope to influence congressional elections in May by unseating members of Congress who supported a reproductive health law passed in December.
Birth Control and Family Planning; Elections; Sex Education; Law and Legislation; Religion-State Relations;

Rome should but out.
 
13
Opinion

Paying Doctors for Performance

Jan 28, 2013
New York City’s public hospital system is moving away from cost-of-living increases.
Doctors; Hospitals; Reform and Reorganization; Health Insurance and Managed Care; Wages and Salaries; Editorials;

Ineffective.
14
World

Israeli Secularists Appear to Find Their Voice

By JODI RUDOREN | Jan 29, 2013
The stunning success of Yair Lapid and his Yesh Atid Party in last week’s election is being viewed as a victory for the secular mainstream in the identity battle gripping Israel.
Jews and Judaism; Elections; Draft and Recruitment (Military); Rabbis;

About time.
 
15
Real Estate

Seeing Big Promise in Manhattan Corporate Apartments

By JANE L. LEVERE | Jan 30, 2013
Silverstein Properties, the developer of the World Trade Center complex, is converting the Beekman Tower Hotel into luxury corporate dwellings.
Renting and Leasing (Real Estate); Real Estate and Housing (Residential); Real Estate (Commercial); World Trade Center (NYC); Restoration and Renovation;

Dreaming.
 
16
N.Y. / Region

Congress Approves $51 Billion in Aid for Hurricane Victims

By RAYMOND HERNANDEZ | Jan 29, 2013
The $51 billion aid package comes on top of nearly $10 billion that Congress approved this month to support the recovery efforts in states that were battered by Hurricane Sandy.
Hurricane Sandy (2012); Federal Aid (US); United States Politics and Government;

The GOP needs New Jersey.
 
17
U.S.

G.O.P.’s Cantor, Looking Past Politics of Debt

By JONATHAN WEISMAN | Jan 28, 2013
Representative Eric Cantor is reasserting himself in the House after Republican election losses, with plans to unveil softer proposals beyond reining in the debt.
Federal Budget (US); United States Politics and Government; National Debt (US); United States Economy;

Bigger dreams.
 
18
Technology

Dickens, Austen and Twain, Through a Digital Lens

By STEVE LOHR | Jan 27, 2013
Big Data is pushing into the humanities, as evidenced by new, illuminating computer analyses of literary history.
Computers and the Internet; Books and Literature; Research; Writing and Writers; English Language; Data-Mining and Database Marketing;

Desperation.
 
19
World

Once More Unto the Breach for Britain

By ALAN COWELL | Jan 29, 2013
Prime Minister David Cameron's speech on the European Union, as well as the response to it, show the historical ambivalence between Britain and Continent is alive and well.
European Sovereign Debt Crisis (2010- ); Euro (Currency);

Britexit.
20
Business Day

India Lowers Benchmark Interest Rate to Fuel Growth

By REUTERS | Jan 30, 2013
The cut was its first in nine months, but worries about inflation may prevent further policy easing, the central bank warns.
Interest Rates; Inflation (Economics); Indian Rupee (Currency);

Just wrong.
I will never ignore love.
The twenty eighth is a good day.
Sooner is better.  As soon as you can is best.


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