If there is an uprising in Saudi Arabia the likes of which we have seen in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya, will the United States stand by the protestors and ask the regime to leave?
"As cyclists, almost all of us shave our legs. Why? Whenever this question comes up from non-cyclists we all know the unwritten code: Easier for massage, cleaning and healing of road rash, it saves 5 seconds over a 40km TT, so the hair doesn’t get caught when you’re riding in the BIG RING, etc. We all know none of this is true however. Let’s be honest. What good reason would weekend warriors like us have to shave our legs? Because it’s PRO, that’s why. It’s all about your dedication and commitment to the sport. Shaved legs are the trademark of a serious cyclist.
During the Tour Down Under I was introduced to Sean Yates (Team SKY Director Sportif and British cycling legend). We had a good chat and as usual the conversation turned to, “Hey…I got a good tip for you…”. Yates got right onto the topic of shaving. He swore by shaving in the bathtub under the water if you’ve got a lot of hair to deal with. This way the hair doesn’t get clogged up in the blades. Also, use a women’s razor. They’re made for the legs, not the face.
It’s a frightening thought thinking of Yatesy sitting in the bathtub by the candlelight whilst shaving his legs with a pink razor, but I can see the logic in it.
There are benefits to not shaving the legs however. First of all, you’re given much more room in the peloton. No one wants to go anywhere near a guy with hairy legs. Also, your wife won’t complain about you feeling like a porcupine in bed after a few days of growth."
To Shave Or Not To Shave? - Cycling Tips
"President Obama's basic budget for fiscal 2012 is mostly a done deal, supported by the entire political establishment. The hyped choreography of forthcoming battles between Democrats and Republicans is a very secondary sideshow. The battles clothe basic agreement in a disguise of fierce oppositions – perhaps aimed to mollify each party's none-too-discerning militants.
Both sides agree that the US private economy is in such a poor and dangerous condition that it needs massive fiscal stimulus from the federal budget: classic Keynesian policy. Washington thus plans to spend roughly $3.5tn, while taking in tax revenues of roughly $2tn; hence a deficit of $1.5tn. In the light of such numbers, the debates of Democrats and Republicans over spending cuts likely to be of the order of $40-60bn are inconsequential. They become yet more inconsequential in light of the fact that the federal budget's projected deficit of $1.5tn will carry an annual interest cost of $40-60bn. That interest will be an additional budget outlay offsetting the likely cuts arrived at the end of loudly publicised debates over spending reductions.
This capitalist crisis is being "resolved" the way they usually are. As unemployment deepens and lasts, wages and benefits decline. As businesses close, the costs of secondhand machines, the rents for office and factory space, the fees of business-serving professionals (accountants, lawyers, etc) drop. Eventually, when those cost declines proceed far enough, capitalists will see enough profit in resuming production to generate a broad and sustainable economic upturn.
In short, just as the crisis was brought on by the profit-seeking investments and speculations of the private sector, so now we wait until the private sector sees a profit in resuming production and thus ending this crisis. The federal government fusses and fumes about it all. It throws public money at the private sector to keep it afloat. It debates details with great fanfare. But all the while, the mass of people tighten their belts, do without and wait for this economic system to rebound.
The vast social and personal costs of this irrational economic absurdity – tens of millions unemployed, one third of US productive capacity unutilised (rotting and rusting), and vast quantities of needed output foregone and lost – are ignored lest they raise the uncomfortable question: why do we retain a system as dysfunctional as this?"
The revenge of trickle-down economics - Guardian
"Imagine the perpetual loan, a loan that no matter what you do, you can never pay off. To help conceptualize the idea, think of it as a perpetual interest-only loan in which you are forbidden to completely pay off principal.
If you own a house, you are in exactly that deal, except it conveniently not called interest. Instead it's called a property tax.
Perpetual Liabilities: An endless note on your house you can never pay off - Mish
"I was still at Apple when Nokia announced it was turning its stake in Symbian into full ownership. The iPhone was days away from being a year old. I emailed my team and said something to the effect of “We’ve won, and our competitors know it.”
Enough about Nokia, because the “Nokia” we knew is a thing of the past. Today’s news is all about Microsoft.
All in all, this was one of very few choices Nokia could have made; it’s certainly better than staying the course, which is what I feared we would hear today. For Microsoft, though, it’s huge.
I have absolutely no qualms about calling this new regime at Nokia a puppet government. This is far and away the most brilliant move of Ballmer’s tenure. Whether it pays off is another question entirely."
Microsoft Buys Nokia for $0B - Apple Outsider
"Nokia on Sunday hinted that Microsoft essentially won a bidding war against Google to supply software to the world’s largest handset maker and that the software giant agreed to pay “billions” of dollars for the privilege."
Microsoft to pay out 'billions' as part of Nokia deal - CW
"Eleven percent of the houses in America are empty. This as builders start to get more bullish, and renting apartments becomes ever more popular. Vacancies in the apartment sector have been falling steadily and dramatically, why? Because we're still recovering emotionally from the toll of the housing crash.
Younger Americans have seen what home ownership has done to their friends and families, and many want no part of it. Credit has become very nearly elitist. Home prices, whatever your particular data provider preference might be, are still falling"
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