Rochester Entertainment and Progressive Politics 2008-11-21T20:53:36Z WordPress http://dragonflyeye.net/feed/atom/ 643955http://www.feedburner.com Thomas Belknap http://dragonflyeye.net/ http://dragonflyeye.net/?p=2734 2008-11-21T20:53:36Z 2008-11-21T20:53:36Z

<p>Figure <a href="http://www.rbj.net/fullarticle.cfm?sdid=76036">this one</a> out:</p> <blockquote><p> In September and the first half of October 2005, would-be bankruptcy filers locally and across the country clogged bankruptcy clerks’ offices as they raced to file petitions in time to beat a midnight Oct. 17 deadline when the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act took effect. Long sought by the banking and credit card industries, the 2005 act put tighter restrictions on bankruptcy filers.<br /> After it became law, filings here and across the country fell precipitously and only gradually climbed back to pre-reform levels. </p></blockquote> <p>Doesn&#8217;t seem to have all that much to do with the article at hand, which is simply reporting that there is a slight up-tick in bankruptcy filings in Rochester. And if I&#8217;m reading it correctly, doesn&#8217;t it basically sound like it&#8217;s trumpeting the success of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bankruptcy_Abuse_Prevention_and_Consumer_Protection_Act">Backruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act</a>, while in the second half of the last sentence, conceding that the panic that law caused only temporarily effected any change? Kind of like saying &#8220;I slapped my kid a good one. And boy, it took him a long time to forget about it. But he did.&#8221;</p> <p>Maybe Will Astor aught to leave the editorializing to the editorial page.</p> <span class="st_tag_list">Tagged With: <a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/tag/bankruptcy/" title="Bankruptcy" rel="tag" class="st_tag">Bankruptcy</a>, <a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/tag/economy/" title="Economy" rel="tag" class="st_tag">Economy</a>, <a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/tag/rochester/" title="Rochester" rel="tag" class="st_tag">Rochester</a>, <a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/tag/rochester-business-journal/" title="Rochester Business Journal" rel="tag" class="st_tag">Rochester Business Journal</a>, <a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/tag/will-astor/" title="Will Astor" rel="tag" class="st_tag">Will Astor</a></span> <h4>Related posts</h4> <ul class="st-related-posts"> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/10/23/xerox-underperforms-dfe-rounds-it-up-for-you/">Xerox Underperforms, DFE Rounds it Up For You</a></li> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/11/07/news-xerox-mucahy-meeting-with-the-prez-elect/">News: Xerox&#8217; Mucahy Meeting with the Prez Elect?</a></li> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/11/20/yu-gone/">Yu-Gone</a></li> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/11/21/wamu-layoffs-killin-em-with-style/">WaMu Layoffs: Killin&#8217; &#8216;Em With Style</a></li> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/10/29/someone-elses-money/">Someone Else&#8217;s Money</a></li> </ul> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?a=WzCFN"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?i=WzCFN" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?a=BWnwN"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?i=BWnwN" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?a=KKpKn"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?i=KKpKn" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?a=RkppN"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?i=RkppN" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?a=GQqen"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?i=GQqen" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/dragonflyeye/blog/~4/461161292" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=dragonflyeye/blog&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fdragonflyeye.net%2Fblog%2F2008%2F11%2F21%2Fweird-editorializing-in-the-rbj%2Fhttp://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/11/21/weird-editorializing-in-the-rbj/ Thomas Belknap http://dragonflyeye.net/ http://dragonflyeye.net/?p=2732 2008-11-21T19:18:51Z 2008-11-21T19:18:51Z

<p>OK, so today is short-blogging day.</p> <p>It just occurred to me whilst watching Countdown without Keith Olbermann from last night: why didn&#8217;t George Bush ever address the Iraqi Parliament, such as it is, to make his case for U.S. plans there? Such a move would be huge - even amid protest, especially amid protest - because it would legitimize the Iraqi Parliament as a legitimate chamber of governance. Would Barack Obama consider doing such a thing? It would go a long way towards easing tensions among the nominally ruling class of Iraq to know that the President of the United States puts such stock in what they are doing there.</p> <span class="st_tag_list">Tagged With: <a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/tag/barack-obama/" title="Barack Obama" rel="tag" class="st_tag">Barack Obama</a>, <a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/tag/iraq/" title="Iraq" rel="tag" class="st_tag">Iraq</a>, <a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/tag/iraqi-parliament/" title="Iraqi Parliament" rel="tag" class="st_tag">Iraqi Parliament</a>, <a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/tag/war/" title="War" rel="tag" class="st_tag">War</a></span> <h4>Related posts</h4> <ul class="st-related-posts"> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/11/10/the-first-lovers/">The First Lovers</a></li> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/11/06/says-it-all/">Says it All</a></li> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/11/05/ralph-nader-racist-douchebag/">Ralph Nader: Racist Douchebag</a></li> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/11/06/rahm-emanuel-a-view-from-the-recent-past/">Rahm Emanuel: A View From the Recent Past</a></li> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/11/07/news-xerox-mucahy-meeting-with-the-prez-elect/">News: Xerox&#8217; Mucahy Meeting with the Prez Elect?</a></li> </ul> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?a=OCWZN"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?i=OCWZN" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?a=xrCsN"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?i=xrCsN" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?a=Xv6Hn"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?i=Xv6Hn" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?a=QQlqN"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?i=QQlqN" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?a=TDgWn"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?i=TDgWn" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/dragonflyeye/blog/~4/461084375" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=dragonflyeye/blog&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fdragonflyeye.net%2Fblog%2F2008%2F11%2F21%2Faddressing-the-public%2Fhttp://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/11/21/addressing-the-public/ Thomas Belknap http://dragonflyeye.net/ http://dragonflyeye.net/?p=2728 2008-11-21T19:09:04Z 2008-11-21T19:03:28Z

<p>I just thought I&#8217;d point out that when you read newspaper articles and watch television news programs which say that we could lose up to &#8220;2.5 million jobs,&#8221; if the auto industry goes bust, they&#8217;re clearly exaggerating. It would be more correct to say that 2.5 million workers can be <em>affected</em> by such a move, but just how those jobs would be affected remains an open question.</p> <p>Not that I think 2.5 million jobs being affected is a good thing. But all three big Detroit companies are not going to simultaneously explode. And even if they do, not every company in every town in Michigan or Pennsylvania is a subcontractor for Detroit steel. The waitresses will indubitably have people for whom breakfast must be served. The tips are likely to suck, though.</p> <p>So at the risk of sounding Pollyanna - clearly, auto makers going bye-bye is a bad thing that we should probably avoid if possible - I just thought that if the television yakkers won&#8217;t tell you, it might be helpful for someone to put things in at least some perspective.</p> <p>Oh, and more perspective: GM big shots decide to <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27842195/">give up their leased jets</a> they flew to Washington with to tell Congress they were broke.</p> <span class="st_tag_list">Tagged With: <a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/tag/detroit/" title="Detroit" rel="tag" class="st_tag">Detroit</a>, <a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/tag/economy/" title="Economy" rel="tag" class="st_tag">Economy</a>, <a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/tag/jobs/" title="Jobs" rel="tag" class="st_tag">Jobs</a></span> <h4>Related posts</h4> <ul class="st-related-posts"> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/11/16/bailout-dujour/">Bailout du&#8217;Jour</a></li> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/11/20/yu-gone/">Yu-Gone</a></li> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/10/23/xerox-underperforms-dfe-rounds-it-up-for-you/">Xerox Underperforms, DFE Rounds it Up For You</a></li> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/11/21/wamu-layoffs-killin-em-with-style/">WaMu Layoffs: Killin&#8217; &#8216;Em With Style</a></li> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/10/29/someone-elses-money/">Someone Else&#8217;s Money</a></li> </ul> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?a=EO66N"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?i=EO66N" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?a=5BKtN"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?i=5BKtN" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?a=3UJYn"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?i=3UJYn" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?a=6VaqN"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?i=6VaqN" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?a=fUiIn"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?i=fUiIn" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/dragonflyeye/blog/~4/461058543" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=dragonflyeye/blog&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fdragonflyeye.net%2Fblog%2F2008%2F11%2F21%2F25-million%2Fhttp://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/11/21/25-million/ Thomas Belknap http://dragonflyeye.net/ http://dragonflyeye.net/?p=2726 2008-11-21T17:42:31Z 2008-11-21T17:42:31Z

<p>This one&#8217;s been making it&#8217;s way around the Internet, of course. Sarah Palin doing an interview about how &#8220;brutal&#8221; the campaign trail is whilst standing in front of a slaughterhouse for turkeys. Those of weak stomachs will want to turn away, but watch as the stainless steel death machine shudders while she discusses the &#8220;levity&#8221; of the moment. It recalls <em>Whose Line is it Anyways</em>, when they put the comedian in front of a screen showing videos completely incongruous to what they&#8217;re talking about.</p> <p>And of course in this context, I can&#8217;t help but notice that it seems unspeakably inappropriate for any politician - Right or Left, Republican or Democrat, Sage or Dipshit - to be found outside of any building without a latte. What the hell is up with that?</p> <a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/11/21/enjoy-your-latte-sarah/"><em>Click here to view the embedded video.</em></a> <span class="st_tag_list">Tagged With: <a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/tag/funny/" title="Funny" rel="tag" class="st_tag">Funny</a>, <a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/tag/sarah-palin/" title="Sarah Palin" rel="tag" class="st_tag">Sarah Palin</a>, <a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/tag/sarcasm/" title="Sarcasm" rel="tag" class="st_tag">Sarcasm</a>, <a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/tag/thanksgiving/" title="Thanksgiving" rel="tag" class="st_tag">Thanksgiving</a></span> <h4>Related posts</h4> <ul class="st-related-posts"> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/10/23/well-its-not-like-its-a-title-or-anything/">Well, It&#8217;s Not Like It&#8217;s a Title or Anything. . .</a></li> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/11/03/for-sarah-palin-a-clue/">For Sarah Palin: A Clue</a></li> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/10/27/why-some-of-my-best-friends-are-from-the-jewish-agency/">Why, Some of My Best Friends are From the Jewish Agency</a></li> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/10/27/why-bother-with-fairness-when-your-boy-is-gonna-lose/">Why Bother With Fairness When Your Boy is Gonna Lose?</a></li> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/10/22/to-type/">To Type</a></li> </ul> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?a=BpANN"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?i=BpANN" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?a=LZ99N"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?i=LZ99N" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?a=cL0un"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?i=cL0un" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?a=fCjBN"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?i=fCjBN" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?a=uj6sn"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?i=uj6sn" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/dragonflyeye/blog/~4/460985642" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=dragonflyeye/blog&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fdragonflyeye.net%2Fblog%2F2008%2F11%2F21%2Fenjoy-your-latte-sarah%2Fhttp://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/11/21/enjoy-your-latte-sarah/ Thomas Belknap http://dragonflyeye.net/ http://dragonflyeye.net/?p=2723 2008-11-21T16:25:10Z 2008-11-21T16:25:10Z

<p>As the media continues to watch the Dow like a bunch of penguins at a ping-pong tournament, <a href="http://calculatedrisk.blogspot.com/2008/11/credit-crisis-indicators.html">Calculated Risk</a> and other <a href="http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/20/dont-panic-about-the-stock-market/">smart economic minds</a> you may have heard of keep their eyes on the real action in the LIBOR and TED spreads. Along with a few other choice indicators.</p> <span class="st_tag_list">Tagged With: <a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/tag/calculated-risk/" title="Calculated Risk" rel="tag" class="st_tag">Calculated Risk</a>, <a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/tag/economy/" title="Economy" rel="tag" class="st_tag">Economy</a>, <a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/tag/libor/" title="LIBOR" rel="tag" class="st_tag">LIBOR</a>, <a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/tag/paul-krugman/" title="Paul Krugman" rel="tag" class="st_tag">Paul Krugman</a>, <a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/tag/ted/" title="Ted" rel="tag" class="st_tag">Ted</a></span> <h4>Related posts</h4> <ul class="st-related-posts"> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/11/20/yu-gone/">Yu-Gone</a></li> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/10/23/xerox-underperforms-dfe-rounds-it-up-for-you/">Xerox Underperforms, DFE Rounds it Up For You</a></li> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/11/21/wamu-layoffs-killin-em-with-style/">WaMu Layoffs: Killin&#8217; &#8216;Em With Style</a></li> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/10/29/someone-elses-money/">Someone Else&#8217;s Money</a></li> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/11/11/priorities-the-white-house-haz-em/">Priorities: The White House Haz &#8216;Em</a></li> </ul> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?a=oYwhN"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?i=oYwhN" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?a=mouON"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?i=mouON" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?a=7rPnn"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?i=7rPnn" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?a=UmyzN"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?i=UmyzN" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?a=FBJQn"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?i=FBJQn" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/dragonflyeye/blog/~4/460912062" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=dragonflyeye/blog&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fdragonflyeye.net%2Fblog%2F2008%2F11%2F21%2Fcredit-markets-still-all-gummed-up%2Fhttp://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/11/21/credit-markets-still-all-gummed-up/ Thomas Belknap http://dragonflyeye.net/ http://dragonflyeye.net/?p=2721 2008-11-21T13:44:15Z 2008-11-21T13:44:15Z

<p>CNN Money is <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2008/11/21/news/economy/two_dollar_gas/index.htm">reporting</a> that gas prices nationally have fallen below $2.00 a gallon. Of course, here in Rochester, we&#8217;ve yet to see it. The lowest price I&#8217;m seeing on Gas Buddy is about $2.35 a gallon. Still, we&#8217;re talking pre-Katrina prices of gasoline. That&#8217;s quite a jump in two months.</p> <p>And I&#8217;ve said it before, but I&#8217;ll say it again: nothing about the production of oil has so changed that could possibly accommodate a 50%+ drop in the price of a gallon of gas. Wasn&#8217;t that the idea of Free Markets? That producers charge what it costs to make a product plus a little extra for profit and no more? If only the useless government regulators would get out of the way? I believe that is the Randian Utopia the Conservatives have in mind, complete with gold-foiled cigarettes.</p> <p>Yet now that their number 1 consumer is broke, wow! Suddenly gas is a whole lot cheaper. I think we know now whom the Free Market benefits, and whom it fucks over.</p> <span class="st_tag_list">Tagged With: <a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/tag/economy/" title="Economy" rel="tag" class="st_tag">Economy</a>, <a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/tag/free-markets/" title="Free Markets" rel="tag" class="st_tag">Free Markets</a>, <a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/tag/gas-prices/" title="Gas Prices" rel="tag" class="st_tag">Gas Prices</a></span> <h4>Related posts</h4> <ul class="st-related-posts"> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/11/20/yu-gone/">Yu-Gone</a></li> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/10/23/xerox-underperforms-dfe-rounds-it-up-for-you/">Xerox Underperforms, DFE Rounds it Up For You</a></li> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/11/21/wamu-layoffs-killin-em-with-style/">WaMu Layoffs: Killin&#8217; &#8216;Em With Style</a></li> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/10/29/someone-elses-money/">Someone Else&#8217;s Money</a></li> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/11/11/priorities-the-white-house-haz-em/">Priorities: The White House Haz &#8216;Em</a></li> </ul> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?a=5lNkN"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?i=5lNkN" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?a=3kdGN"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?i=3kdGN" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?a=81Jcn"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?i=81Jcn" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?a=IsElN"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?i=IsElN" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?a=LS6dn"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?i=LS6dn" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/dragonflyeye/blog/~4/460770200" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=dragonflyeye/blog&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fdragonflyeye.net%2Fblog%2F2008%2F11%2F21%2Fgas-below-2-a-gallon-gosh-that-was-quick%2Fhttp://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/11/21/gas-below-2-a-gallon-gosh-that-was-quick/ Thomas Belknap http://dragonflyeye.net/ http://dragonflyeye.net/?p=2719 2008-11-21T12:56:55Z 2008-11-21T12:56:55Z

<p>You gotta hand it to Washington Mutual for balls-out cruelty in the holiday season: they&#8217;re letting 1,600 people go and handing them all <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2008/11/21/news/companies/wamu_layoffs/index.htm">60-day notices</a> by December 1st. </p> <p>Merry Christmas from your former boss!! It&#8217;s a time bomb disguised as a letter of termination!</p> <span class="st_tag_list">Tagged With: <a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/tag/economy/" title="Economy" rel="tag" class="st_tag">Economy</a>, <a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/tag/layoffs/" title="Layoffs" rel="tag" class="st_tag">Layoffs</a>, <a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/tag/washington-mutual/" title="Washington Mutual" rel="tag" class="st_tag">Washington Mutual</a></span> <h4>Related posts</h4> <ul class="st-related-posts"> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/11/20/yu-gone/">Yu-Gone</a></li> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/10/23/xerox-underperforms-dfe-rounds-it-up-for-you/">Xerox Underperforms, DFE Rounds it Up For You</a></li> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/10/29/someone-elses-money/">Someone Else&#8217;s Money</a></li> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/11/11/priorities-the-white-house-haz-em/">Priorities: The White House Haz &#8216;Em</a></li> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/11/10/one-more-electronic-store-in-the-dustbin/">One More Electronic Store in the Dustbin</a></li> </ul> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?a=jQUhN"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?i=jQUhN" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?a=pk14N"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?i=pk14N" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?a=mzZRn"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?i=mzZRn" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?a=9O0zN"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?i=9O0zN" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?a=bpCwn"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?i=bpCwn" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/dragonflyeye/blog/~4/460730927" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=dragonflyeye/blog&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fdragonflyeye.net%2Fblog%2F2008%2F11%2F21%2Fwamu-layoffs-killin-em-with-style%2Fhttp://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/11/21/wamu-layoffs-killin-em-with-style/ Thomas Belknap http://dragonflyeye.net/ http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/11/20/twitter-updates-for-2008-11-20-3/ 2008-11-21T03:59:59Z 2008-11-21T03:59:59Z

<ul class="aktt_tweet_digest"> <li>Sears Automotive Center is now my personal vision of hell on Earth. <a href="http://twitter.com/dragonflyeye/statuses/1013892601">#</a></li> <li>Just added &#8216;CNN Reports on President Bush - Where&#8217;s the Love?&#8217; to Vodpod <a href="http://tinyurl.com/5v4ujz" rel="nofollow">http://tinyurl.com/5v4ujz</a> <a href="http://twitter.com/dragonflyeye/statuses/1014602352">#</a></li> <li>I&#8217;m feeling much better with new tires. It was hell getting them, but at least I won&#8217;t be driving to work with four round skis. <a href="http://twitter.com/dragonflyeye/statuses/1014603656">#</a></li> <li>I&#8217;m liking the new &#8220;BeTwittered&#8221; plugin for Google home pages. They&#8217;ve added new &#8220;reply,&#8221; &#8220;fav/unfav,&#8221; and &#8220;direct message,&#8221; buttons. <a href="http://twitter.com/dragonflyeye/statuses/1014628804">#</a></li> <li>Just added &#8216;Katie Couric Talks Palin Interview With David Letterman&#8217; to Vodpod <a href="http://tinyurl.com/5qvgaj" rel="nofollow">http://tinyurl.com/5qvgaj</a> <a href="http://twitter.com/dragonflyeye/statuses/1014931636">#</a></li> <li>Breaking: East High cafeteria on lockdown. <a href="http://ping.fm/wOdtQ" rel="nofollow">http://ping.fm/wOdtQ</a> <a href="http://twitter.com/dragonflyeye/statuses/1015068599">#</a></li> <li>Testing Ping.fm + LinkedIn again. There&#8217;s too many places for settings in Ping.fm! <a href="http://twitter.com/dragonflyeye/statuses/1015087763">#</a></li> </ul> <p class="aktt_credit">Powered by <a href="http://alexking.org/projects/wordpress">Twitter Tools</a>.</p> <span class="st_tag_list">Tagged With: <a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/tag/twitter-notes/" title="twitter notes" rel="tag" class="st_tag">twitter notes</a></span> <h4>Related posts</h4> <ul class="st-related-posts"> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/11/19/twitter-updates-for-2008-11-19/">Twitter Updates for 2008-11-19</a></li> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/11/18/twitter-updates-for-2008-11-18/">Twitter Updates for 2008-11-18</a></li> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/11/17/twitter-updates-for-2008-11-17-2/">Twitter Updates for 2008-11-17</a></li> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/11/15/twitter-updates-for-2008-11-15/">Twitter Updates for 2008-11-15</a></li> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/11/14/twitter-updates-for-2008-11-14/">Twitter Updates for 2008-11-14</a></li> </ul> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?a=l4tAN"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?i=l4tAN" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?a=ox2xN"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?i=ox2xN" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?a=OTwOn"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?i=OTwOn" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?a=pYExN"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?i=pYExN" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?a=xRpHn"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?i=xRpHn" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/dragonflyeye/blog/~4/460329708" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=dragonflyeye/blog&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fdragonflyeye.net%2Fblog%2F2008%2F11%2F20%2Ftwitter-updates-for-2008-11-20-3%2Fhttp://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/11/20/twitter-updates-for-2008-11-20-3/ Thomas Belknap http://dragonflyeye.net/ http://dragonflyeye.net/?page_id=2714 2008-11-20T17:25:36Z 2008-11-20T17:25:36Z

<p>Just getting reports via News 8&#8217;s <a href="http://twitter.com/News_8">twitter account</a>, but it appears as though a student with a cell phone inside the cafeteria is texting her mom that there is a lockdown in the lunchroom. It seems that police dogs have been deployed to the school because someone has brought a gun.</p> <p>Here at DFE, we take student reports with a very large grain of salt. But what the hell is going on?</p> <span class="st_tag_list">Tagged With: <a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/tag/crime/" title="Crime" rel="tag" class="st_tag">Crime</a>, <a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/tag/east-high-school/" title="East High School" rel="tag" class="st_tag">East High School</a>, <a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/tag/police/" title="Police" rel="tag" class="st_tag">Police</a>, <a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/tag/rochester/" title="Rochester" rel="tag" class="st_tag">Rochester</a>, <a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/tag/students/" title="Students" rel="tag" class="st_tag">Students</a></span> <h4>Related posts</h4> <ul class="st-related-posts"> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/10/23/xerox-underperforms-dfe-rounds-it-up-for-you/">Xerox Underperforms, DFE Rounds it Up For You</a></li> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/11/07/news-xerox-mucahy-meeting-with-the-prez-elect/">News: Xerox&#8217; Mucahy Meeting with the Prez Elect?</a></li> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/11/06/freakiest-story-to-hit-rochester/">Freakiest Story to Hit Rochester</a></li> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/11/04/duvall-county-fl-say-hello-to-rochester-ny/">Duvall County, Fl: Say Hello to Rochester, NY</a></li> </ul> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?a=mI4mN"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?i=mI4mN" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?a=CJY4N"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?i=CJY4N" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?a=OzLZn"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?i=OzLZn" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?a=qcM1N"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?i=qcM1N" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?a=vwBpn"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?i=vwBpn" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/dragonflyeye/blog/~4/459799294" height="1" width="1"/> 0 http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=dragonflyeye/blog&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fdragonflyeye.net%2Fblog%2F2008%2F11%2F20%2Feast-high-school-cafeteria-on-lockdown%2Fhttp://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/11/20/east-high-school-cafeteria-on-lockdown/ Thomas Belknap http://dragonflyeye.net/ http://dragonflyeye.net/?p=2712 2008-11-20T14:28:22Z 2008-11-20T14:28:22Z

<p>Ah, the iconic if remarkably ugly automobile of Serbia has finally breathed it&#8217;s last. The Yugo is no longer.</p> <p>I know everybody&#8217;s pissed at the automobile industry here in this country - and rightfully so - but can you imagine the thought of an entire make of American cars disappearing from the map?</p> <span class="st_tag_list">Tagged With: <a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/tag/automobiles/" title="Automobiles" rel="tag" class="st_tag">Automobiles</a>, <a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/tag/bailout/" title="Bailout" rel="tag" class="st_tag">Bailout</a>, <a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/tag/economy/" title="Economy" rel="tag" class="st_tag">Economy</a>, <a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/tag/serbia/" title="Serbia" rel="tag" class="st_tag">Serbia</a>, <a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/tag/yugo/" title="Yugo" rel="tag" class="st_tag">Yugo</a></span> <h4>Related posts</h4> <ul class="st-related-posts"> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/11/12/just-how-bad-it-really-is/">Just How Bad it Really Is</a></li> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/10/29/someone-elses-money/">Someone Else&#8217;s Money</a></li> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/11/10/infrastructure/">Infrastructure</a></li> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/11/16/bailout-dujour/">Bailout du&#8217;Jour</a></li> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/10/23/xerox-underperforms-dfe-rounds-it-up-for-you/">Xerox Underperforms, DFE Rounds it Up For You</a></li> </ul> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?a=QF65N"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?i=QF65N" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?a=MrdgN"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?i=MrdgN" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?a=sACln"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?i=sACln" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?a=tMpVN"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?i=tMpVN" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?a=0vqMn"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/dragonflyeye/blog?i=0vqMn" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/dragonflyeye/blog/~4/459628260" height="1" width="1"/> 2 http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=dragonflyeye/blog&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fdragonflyeye.net%2Fblog%2F2008%2F11%2F20%2Fyu-gone%2Fhttp://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2008/11/20/yu-gone/ http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetFeedData?uri=dragonflyeye/blog2008-03-28T00:00:00-05:00http://del.icio.us/dragonflyeye#2008-03-27

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<ul> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/news/2007/11/13/rcsd-superintendent-chosen-morelle-urges-waiting-13whamcom/">RCSD Superintendent Chosen; Morelle Urges Waiting - 13WHAM.com</a></li> </ul>

<ul> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/news/2007/11/13/rcsd-superintendent-chosen-morelle-urges-waiting-13whamcom/">RCSD Superintendent Chosen; Morelle Urges Waiting - 13WHAM.com</a></li> </ul><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/dragonflyeye/blog/~4/184501028" height="1" width="1"/>http://del.icio.us/dragonflyeye#2007-11-132007-11-12T00:00:00-06:00http://del.icio.us/dragonflyeye#2007-11-11

<ul> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/news/2007/11/11/us-military-says-finding-more-iranian-arms-in-iraq-top-news-reuterscom/">U.S. military says finding more Iranian arms in Iraq | Top News | Reuters.com</a></li> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/news/2007/11/11/hops-shortage-increasing-beer-prices-13whamcom/">Hops Shortage Increasing Beer Prices - 13WHAM.com</a></li> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/news/2007/11/11/world-faces-choice-on-human-cloning-un-study-yahoo-news/">World faces choice on human cloning: U.N. study - Yahoo! News</a></li> </ul>

<ul> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/news/2007/11/11/us-military-says-finding-more-iranian-arms-in-iraq-top-news-reuterscom/">U.S. military says finding more Iranian arms in Iraq | Top News | Reuters.com</a></li> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/news/2007/11/11/hops-shortage-increasing-beer-prices-13whamcom/">Hops Shortage Increasing Beer Prices - 13WHAM.com</a></li> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/news/2007/11/11/world-faces-choice-on-human-cloning-un-study-yahoo-news/">World faces choice on human cloning: U.N. study - Yahoo! News</a></li> </ul><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/dragonflyeye/blog/~4/183416263" height="1" width="1"/>http://del.icio.us/dragonflyeye#2007-11-112007-11-11T00:00:00-06:00http://del.icio.us/dragonflyeye#2007-11-10

<ul> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2007/11/10/rcsd-what-is-morelle-on-about/">RCSD: What is Morelle on About?</a></li> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/news/2007/11/10/suitcase-nukes-said-unlikely-to-exist-yahoo-news/">Suitcase nukes said unlikely to exist - Yahoo! News</a></li> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/news/2007/11/10/pakistan-police-block-bhutto-again-journalists-expelled-top-news-reuterscom/">Pakistan police block Bhutto again, journalists expelled | Top News | Reuters.com</a></li> </ul>

<ul> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/blog/2007/11/10/rcsd-what-is-morelle-on-about/">RCSD: What is Morelle on About?</a></li> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/news/2007/11/10/suitcase-nukes-said-unlikely-to-exist-yahoo-news/">Suitcase nukes said unlikely to exist - Yahoo! News</a></li> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/news/2007/11/10/pakistan-police-block-bhutto-again-journalists-expelled-top-news-reuterscom/">Pakistan police block Bhutto again, journalists expelled | Top News | Reuters.com</a></li> </ul><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/dragonflyeye/blog/~4/182973035" height="1" width="1"/>http://del.icio.us/dragonflyeye#2007-11-102007-10-26T00:00:00-05:00http://del.icio.us/dragonflyeye#2007-10-25

<ul> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/news/2007/10/25/us-details-quds-forces-lethal-support-to-taliban-cnncom/">U.S. details Quds Force's 'lethal support' to Taliban - CNN.com</a></li> </ul>

<ul> <li><a href="http://dragonflyeye.net/news/2007/10/25/us-details-quds-forces-lethal-support-to-taliban-cnncom/">U.S. details Quds Force's 'lethal support' to Taliban - CNN.com</a></li> </ul><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/dragonflyeye/blog/~4/175199211" height="1" width="1"/>http://del.icio.us/dragonflyeye#2007-10-252007-10-23T00:00:00-05:00http://del.icio.us/dragonflyeye#2007-10-22

<ul> <li><a href="http://www.freerice.com/index.php">FreeRice</a><br/> Play a cool vocabulary game! Earn some rice for the needy! Even if that's not how it works, it's still a fun game. I got 330 points just sitting here before going to bed!</li> </ul>

<ul> <li><a href="http://www.freerice.com/index.php">FreeRice</a><br/> Play a cool vocabulary game! Earn some rice for the needy! Even if that's not how it works, it's still a fun game. I got 330 points just sitting here before going to bed!</li> </ul><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/dragonflyeye/blog/~4/173650525" height="1" width="1"/>http://del.icio.us/dragonflyeye#2007-10-22