I’ve been saddened to read many reports about families abandoning their pets because the breadwinner(s) has/have been laid off, they’ve lost their home, and they can’t afford to keep the animal(s) with them and/or the temporary housing they’re using doesn’t allow them. The latest report is that exotic birds such as cockatiels, macaws and others… Continue reading People and pets in recession
Tag: Economics
A puzzle I wouldn’t mind having!
A garbage collector in Lincoln, England, might be up to $15,000 richer – if he can sort out a heap of waste paper. Mr Hill, 43, found himself with the ultimate jigsaw when he discovered a carrier bag stuffed with cut £10 and £20 notes while he was emptying litter bins in Lincoln town centre.… Continue reading A puzzle I wouldn’t mind having!
The future of books and reading
The future of book publishing, marketing and reading is in flux right now. Not only are hard times, economically speaking, impacting every aspect of the business, but the demographics of the reading population are changing rapidly. L. E. Modesitt, Jr., a well-known fantasy and science-fiction author, highlighted some of these issues on his blog recently.… Continue reading The future of books and reading
Art, and paying for it
A report in the Daily Mail has got me thinking about something that’s been a nagging irritation to me for some years. The campaign to save a Titian masterpiece was given a £10million boost today. The National Heritage Memorial Fund, set up as Britain’s fund of last resort for saving treasures at risk, made the… Continue reading Art, and paying for it
The Shallowest Generation?
James Quinn has produced one of the finest analyses of the roots of our financial problems that I’ve ever read. Here are a few extracts to whet your appetite. The Baby Boom Generation will never be mistaken for the Greatest Generation that survived the Great Depression and defeated evil in a World War that killed… Continue reading The Shallowest Generation?
Should we bail out the US auto industry?
My online pal Larry Correia asks this question on his blog. His answer, in brief: Let me put it this way. When you have a company that is contractually obligated to pay $75 an hour to the guy who SWEEPS THE FLOOR… you deserve to FAIL. Let me rephrase. FAIL! Damn it! Go to hell,… Continue reading Should we bail out the US auto industry?
Fat-cats on the verge of criminal behavior?
On Friday I gave a Doofus award to the US investment banks who were preparing to spend a large chunk of the ‘rescue package’, given to them by the US Government, on bonuses and incentives for their executives. A report today suggests that if this happens, it will be illegal. Using bail-out money for anything… Continue reading Fat-cats on the verge of criminal behavior?
Iceland for sale?
Readers may be aware that Iceland has been very hard hit by the recent credit squeeze. The Government there has taken over the three largest banks: and whilst it’s guaranteed the deposits of Icelandic citizens, it’s said that it can’t afford to guarantee the deposits of foreigners, attracted by the very high interest rates offered… Continue reading Iceland for sale?
The best analogy of the stock market I’ve ever read!
From Morris’ Musings, a blogger in Australia, we read the following. Once upon a time in a village, a man appeared and announced to the villagers that he would buy monkeys for $10 each. The villagers seeing that there were many monkeys around, went out to the forest, and started catching them. The man bought… Continue reading The best analogy of the stock market I’ve ever read!
The financial crisis and the politicians
In all the fuss and bother over the ‘credit squeeze’ and the ‘bailout package’, the US news media have mostly failed to point out that the same politicians who got us into this mess are the ones currently trying to find a solution. I’m not confident of their chances of success. Most US news media… Continue reading The financial crisis and the politicians