Bits & Pieces (Friday Night Comics)(aka Figuring Out How to Create a Post and Schedule It)

Posted on January 13, 2012 by Michigoose

NOTE for scheduling posts it appears that the default is Greenwich Mean Time, so you’ll have to do a little math to figure out when you want it to post; at least, we’ll know if I’m right if this pops up at 1800 EST/1700 CST/1600 MST/1500 PST this afternoon!

Update as of 1/13/2012 2219 MST: the blog is now set to MST (as the “old” ATiM was) so as long as we don’t muck around with the time zone–as I was doing today–everything should be fine.

For Scott, Mr McWingnut, and any other AGW deniers out there. . . you know who you are!  🙂

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Never forget the science. . . science is our friend!

Overboard

It’s all the Muppets’ faults.  Maybe we should stop linking their videos–it might have a bad influence on us and whether or not we believe in Universal Healthcare and the ACA. . . oh, wait, too late!

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At least one of my cats has never figured out that this is how my beagle gets away with things:

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Never thought about it that way!

Frazz

All of the above were in Wednesday’s paper here in SLC–I haven’t laughed out loud at so many comics in one day in ages.  And, finally, in honor of Tuesday’s story in The Advocate:

image

Pat Bagley, our local editorial cartoonist.  Yee-haw!

Well, that seemed to be pretty painless–and, too cool! The buttons along the top (like bold and italic) automatically show you the html code if you’re editing in that window, so you don’t have to remember the code.  Now we’ll see if it’s scheduled correctly. . .

Forgot to change the scheduled time to MST, so we’ll see what happens in four minutes.

Let the countdown begin!

Update again as of 1/13/2012 2225: you can edit the size of the images (in this case, the comics) by clicking on them and then selecting the little icon that looks like a jpg icon in the upper left hand corner of the image (“Edit image”). I just reduced the size of each of them.

There’s a bit of a learning curve that we’re having to go through again, but I’m thinking that this site is going to be even better than Blogger was at its best. . . thanks, Kevin, lms and Scott!

Michigoose

Filed under: Bits and Pieces, comics, Uncategorized | Tagged: , , | 66 Comments »

Sorry For Screwing Up The Invite

Posted on January 13, 2012 by Kevin S. Willis

I invited a lot of people as followers, then re-invited them as Editors. Hope that works. If anybody needs to be re-invited, let me know in comments or at Blogger. Whoops! Sorry about all the unnecessary email, everybody. And the confusion. That’s not WordPress, though, that was just me being in a hurry.

Filed under: Uncategorized | 131 Comments »

Bain Capital: The Principal Concern

Posted on January 13, 2012 by nsullivan12

The Romney campaign understandably touts the activities of Bain Capital during Romney’s tenure there, and perhaps its activities in general, as beneficial. The argument, as I understand it, is that the country, presumably the economy in particular, is better off
than it would have been otherwise. We are, generally speaking, better off because of Bain Capital and, in particular, because of the activities of Bain Capital when Romney was in charge.

That a case for regarding Bain Capital as, ultimately, beneficial can be made. That such a case has been made is evidence for that and a presentation of that argument here would be redundant. Moreover, such a presentation is probably best left to others more knowledgeable
than I.

An argument for Bain Capital being, on the whole, a benefit is in danger of missing a crucial point, however.

Consider that there were costs, or pain, as a result of the activities of Bain Capital. I assume that is not controversial. Companies were eliminated, employees were laid off, lives were disrupted, individuals suffered financially and saw there opportunities diminished, and so forth, as a result, in part, of the activities of Bain Capital. Now grant, for the sake of argument, that the activities of Bain Capital resulted in more good than bad. Grant that the country, the economy, what one will, was ultimately improved by the activities of Bain Capital during Romney’s tenure. Furthermore, grant that the individuals harmed, the individuals who bore the costs, are now better off than they would have been without Bain Capital. Grant, that is, that those negatively affected by the activities are, at present, in a better financial situation, than they would have been if Bain Capital had not acted.

Even granting all that, the problem for Romney is that he, and a few others, evidently benefited immensely without sharing the pain and that he, and a few others, presumably benefited far, far more than those who suffered. Even if one looks at the activities of Bain Capital as activities that were, ultimately, beneficial for all concerned, even if one assumes that those who suffered as a result of said activities ultimately benefited, it seems clear that Romeny was willing to engage in business practices which, in the end, resulted in the concentration of tremendous wealth in the hands of himself and a few others and the concentration of the costs, and some benefits, in individuals other than himself and a few others.

Romney, and others, can argue, with some justification, that firms like Bain Capital, private
equity firms, are ultimately beneficial and necessary. That said, it is, arguably, not clear what answer should be given to the concerned individual who points out that Romney appears to have been comfortable with a process that distributed costs and benefits in a way that dramatically favored him and a few others.

If Romney’s argument is, in part, that he should be president because of what he accomplished at Bain Capital, then it seems reasonable to ask why the country favor a candidate who was, in his career in private industry, decidedly enthusiastic about concentrating benefits in the hands of a few and costs in the hands of others.

Note also that arguing that Romney behaved precisely as he should have, that he sought to maximize profits and that he had a fiduciary responsibility to do so, does not address the concern. One could take the position that Romeny’s activities were entirely acceptable, even
laudable, and look askance at a candidate who has, in the past, endeavored to ensure that
a few benefit tremendously and that others bear the costs.

Filed under: Uncategorized | 11 Comments »

Hi! I’m Testing WordPress for All Things in Moderation

Posted on January 13, 2012 by Arcanaut

To see how it works. Please try and comment. Yes, Memetrics is me but I’m going to have a more traditional login later, if we decide to go this route.

Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: | 2 Comments »

Seems good to me

Posted on January 13, 2012 by ScottC

Although I like the color on the other site, I assume that is easily changeable.  Otherwise it seems just as easy to use as blogger.  Have not tried it in IE yet, though.

Filed under: Uncategorized | 22 Comments »

Hello world!

Posted on January 13, 2012 by Arcanaut

Welcome to WordPress.com. After you read this, you should delete and write your own post, with a new title above. Or hit Add New on the left (of the admin dashboard) to start a fresh post.

Here are some suggestions for your first post.

  1. You can find new ideas for what to blog about by reading the Daily Post.
  2. Add PressThis to your browser. It creates a new blog post for you about any interesting  page you read on the web.
  3. Make some changes to this page, and then hit preview on the right. You can always preview any post or edit it before you share it to the world.

Filed under: Uncategorized | 4 Comments »

Testing Poll Creation Ability in WordPress

Posted on January 13, 2012 by Kevin S. Willis

Filed under: Uncategorized | 3 Comments »

Morning Report

Posted on January 13, 2012 by Brent Nyitray

Vital Statistics:

Last Change Percent
S&P Futures 1288.4 -3.3 -0.26%
Eurostoxx Index 2364.3 18.430 0.79%
Oil (WTI) 99.48 0.380 0.38%
LIBOR 0.567 -0.005 -0.79%
US Dollar Index (DXY) 81.026 0.192 0.24%
10 Year Govt Bond Yield 1.90% -0.02%

Happy Friday the 13th.
It is a slow news day ahead of a 3-day weekend. S&P futures are down slighly, while Europe is up slightly. Sovereign yields are lower.
Import prices came in as expected, while the trade deficit increased. J.P. Morgan’s earnings were down 23%, but still in line with expectations. Tier 1 common equity and Tier 1 common ratio are well in excess of Basel III requirements. Jamie Dimon is speaking to the press right now, and is noting that regulatory uncertainty is hurting the mortgage market. He also takes a shot at the Durbin Amendment, calling it a “Gross Miscarriage of Justice.” Don’t put too fine a point on it, Jamie.
Earnings season gets into full swing next week, with most of the financials reporting, along with big names like Ebay, Johnny John, IBM, Intel, Softee, Google, and GE.
Edit: University of Michigan Consumer confidence came in at 74 up 6% MOM and more or less flat YOY.

Filed under: Uncategorized | 20 Comments »

This one’s for you, qb and ashot

Posted on January 13, 2012 by ScottC

It appears that the blogger upgrade to threaded comments is currently unusable in an IE browser, and ATiM has a couple of significant contributors who are unfortunately forced to use IE, at least during the day. Since we do not want to lose them, lms and I have agreed to revert back to the so-called full page comments style for now, meaning the comment box will not exist at the bottom of the post page, but you will instead be directed to a new page to enter any comments. Again, this is not ideal, but the alternative is that ATiM will lose two of its more prolific contributors, which would be unacceptable. I’ll keep looking for a way around this problem, as I hope will Kevin. If anyone else has suggestions, let us know. In the meantime, I expect qb and ashot to produce some earth shattering posts and comments at which we will all gaze in awe while wondering to ourselves “Now that’s why we’re dealing with this cumbersome comments system.” No pressure, though.

Filed under: Uncategorized | 27 Comments »

Mayhem in Tampa?

Posted on January 13, 2012 by msjs0315

This is a bitcomplicated.  On a dare from a Republican friend, I went and read the Rules of the Republican Party, as adopted at the 2008 nominating convention, henceforth known as the Rulebook. (sorry, it’s a pdf)

I’ll start with the RepublicanParty’s Rule 16.  In part, it says that if a state selectsits delegates before the Party says it can, “the number of delegates to thenational convention from that state shall be reduced by fifty percent (50%)”  (Rulebook, page 25).

The next item relates to the “beforethe Party says it can” part.  Rule 15(b)of the above cited document states that only Iowa, New Hampshire, SouthCarolina and Nevada can hold delegate selecting events prior to the firstTuesday in March but not before February 1 (Rulebook, page 18).

But in 2010 the RNC revisedRule 15(b).  This was something of abiggie, as the GOP doesn’t normally change these rules in betweenconventions, per page iv of the Rulebook.  The revised rule furtherstipulates that if any state other than the excepted four held an earlyprimary/caucus, the state “shall provide for theallocation of delegates on a proportional basis.”

Well, so much for the rules.

As of this writing, Iowa, NewHampshire and South Carolina all moved their events into January, and otherstates—Florida, Michigan, Colorado, Maine and Arizona—are all holdingprimaries/caucuses prior to the first Tuesday in March.  So, in theory each should: (a) have thenumber of delegates going to the nominating convention halved; and (b) have toallocate delegates proportionally.

Except that won’t be thecase, either.

It turns out that the delegate-assigningevents in Iowa, Colorado and Maine are non-binding so they get to retain theirfull delegation numbers.  And Floridagets to keep its winner-takes-all-delegates status, although its delegate count has been halved.

Is any of this making senseyet?

OK, how about Rule 38?  “No delegate or alternate delegate shall be boundby any attempt of any state or Congressional district to impose the unit rule.”(Rulebook, page 37)  Translation: Winner-take-allmay not be after all.

Depending on how angry and howdivided the GOP is when the delegates head to the convention in Tampa, theRepublican Party’s rules, and the candidate(s) with supposedly the mostdelegates, could face some potentially fascinating challenges.

Or everyone could unite under the common goal of defeating Barack Obama.  And if that’s the case, the GOP shouldn’teven bother with many of these rules for 2016.  After all, Rule 42 states “Rules 25 through 42 shall be the temporary rules of the next national convention” (Rulebook, page 40), so they won’t be in force after this summer anyway.  


I haven’t read the Democratic Party’s Rulebook, largely because no one’s dared me to.  It may well be in the same shape.

Filed under: 2012, GOP | 5 Comments »

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