Rats. Sinking Ship.

Barney Frank won't run for reelection.

Research Bears Out Personal Experience

According to an article in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology:

The less people know about important complex issues such as the economy, energy consumption and the environment, the more they want to avoid becoming well-informed, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association.

And the more urgent the issue, the more people want to remain unaware, according to a paper published online in APA's Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

Our personal experience is that the more we know about the economy, energy consumption, and the environment, the more we're inclined to hole up in our bunker along with a pile of gold ingots.

EU Study: Water Not Wet

Dehydration -- i.e., excessive loss of water from the human body -- is neither treated nor prevented by water.

Related ongoing studies expected to conclude that the sky is not up, and that there really aren't all that many fish in the sea.

Prime Minister Defends Larry

The Government of British Prime Minister David Cameron has been rocked by allegations of incompetence on the part of a key appointee, Larry, the Downing Street Cat. The Daily Mail reported:

Larry the Downing Street cat may have been brought in to catch rats but it appears the ministerial moggy may have to face a disciplinary.

The tabby, adopted from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home earlier this year, was expected to go chasing after rodents who have been seen scuttling in and around Number 10.

But David Cameron has resorted to throwing cutlery at mice because Larry has not been fulfilling his duties.

The Prime Minister was apparently witnessed throwing a silver fork at a mouse seen running across the floor during a dinner with Cabinet ministers last week, the Daily Telegraph said.

Downing Street aides have been growing increasingly concerned over Larry's apparent lack of interest in keeping on top of the now growing rodent problem.

Downing Street has rebuffed calls for Larry's resignation. Throughout the controversy, Larry himself has remained aloof, refusing all interview requests.

Larry's supporters blame the controversy on media bias, noting that ITV reporter Lucy Manning required mild correction on a recent Downing Street visit:

Christmas is Coming

Dog Bites Man!

"US Deficit-Cutting Talks Appear to Be Near Collapse"

Just the facts, Ma'm

The House of Representatives has passed the Concealed-Carry Reciprocity bill. If the bill becomes law, it would mean that the concealed-carry permit the Fauquier County Circuit Court Clerk was kind enough to issue to me would also be good in, say, Pennsylvania.

But enough about me. Here's the way the story was reported by the Associated Press:

WASHINGTON — A state permit to carry a concealed firearm would be valid in almost every other state in the country under legislation the House passed Wednesday.

The first pro-gun bill the House has taken up this year and the first since Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., was severely injured in a gun attack in January,it had the National Rifle Association's backing and passed by a comfortable margin.

This is legislation dealing with enforcement of a Constitutional right. I'm wondering if the AP described the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as "a pro-Black bill"?

And wherever does Gabby Giffords come into this? Does she carry? Did she vote for the bill? Maybe the AP is thinking that if Congresswoman Giffords' staff had been carrying, things might have turned out differently. Yeah. That must be it.

Catching Up With Old Friends

See all the CollegeHumor Original Videos here.

Outrage!

The New York Times has uncovered an outrage that threatens the very existence of the Republic: "Banks Quietly Ramping Up Costs to Consumers." Which is to say, banks charge their customers to do stuff, like replacing a lost debit card, or wiring money to your account. Underlying this huffing and puffing seems to be the notion that a business should price its goods or services based on what it costs that business to produce or deliver them.

We're pretty sure that the New York Times doesn't set its advertising charges based on what it costs them to hit a few computer keys and roll the presses.

If you don't like your bank nickel-and-diming you to death -- or if you lose your debit card regularly -- your remedy is to find a bank that makes its money some other way, and take your business there. But that's becoming more and more difficult to do. If you don't much like JPMorgan-Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, or Citigroup, you may be out of luck.

Of course, that's a story you're not going to read in the New York Times: "Obama Administration Encourages, Finances, Historic Bank Consolidation, Campaign Receives Big Bucks From Bankers."

Persuasive. Unignorable. Relevant. Rememberable.

Occupy Washington

Occupy Prague

Occupy Paris

Can't we all just get along?

​"Jasha Lottin says she can't understand why people are so interested in why she bought a horse, killed it, gutted it, then posed naked for photos inside the carcass and posted them on the Internet."

Caution: LGT story that includes NSFW pics (particularly if you work with a lot of people who've never seen a naked girl). More important, they're WAY over the "Not Safe For Lunch" line.

Relationships: His & Her Diary

A solution to student debt, and the higher education bubble