Tag: AIG

Winners in a Slow Economy

What can you say about the food sold at the 99¢ store? They got my 99¢, I got some food that tastes different, and the big guys with the obnoxious website did not get my $3.99. These are the same guys voraciously taking over the packaged organic food industry.

From Richard’s Forewards and elsewhere:

  • Tom Engelhardt lives in my neighborhood!! I’ve been observing these same buildings lie fallow since 2007, also hoping the influx of rich fresh blood would also help the Ding Dong Lounge.
  • Dean Baker pessimistic that Timmeh’s plan will help anyone outside the banking industry.
  • Via Atrios, Yves at Naked Capitalism: “Given the lack of any mention of a special resolution regime, or intent to develop one, the point of this bill is NOT, appearances to the contrary, to be able to put more firms into receivership. It is to get broader authority to bail them out.”
  • AIG’s ace in the hole?

Three Hits from the Intertubes

Even though I’m mostly Irish, I usually end up hiding out on St. Patrick’s Day. I’m just not a big fan of the kelly green plastic crap, “kiss me I’m Irish” buttons, Irish sports bars, or fake Irish accents.

WFMU has launched its video podcasts with this stunning debut. I hope you donated to the station if you ever listen.


Video Quest from WFMU Episode 1

If they’re blooming everywhere, maybe we should eat jellyfish! Asians specialize in clear or white base foods that don’t taste like much: cellophane noodles, tofu, and rice, so you also have all the great spices, sauces, and pickling techniques. It’s only a matter of time before I order some jellyfish in chinatown though the texture scares me. Full disclosure: I got stung pretty badly by jellyfish as a kid which resulted in my shunning the ocean altogether for a few years. Nobody peed on me.

If the AIG executive bonus scandal has been good for anything, it’s brought what’s been wrong all along with how the Obama administration has handled the bailout / stimulus by putting faces on the corporate welfare recipients. Over at kos, barbinmd has proposed some simple policy guidelines for executives who remain with bailed out institutions: “Executives at a failing company don’t get a bonus. Executives at a failing company don’t get a raise.” Simple answers to simple questions.