Creepy, Your ebook is reading you.

The Kindles and Nooks report back to their makers, things like what books you buy, how fast you read them, any marginal notes you might make.  All this goes to the publishers for data mining to help discover (or make) the next best seller.  And all this data can be used against you in court.  For instance, was I prosecuting an Islamic terrorist, I'd be sure the jury knows he reads about explosives and weapons. Used to be, libraries refused to divulge what books a person checked out.  Kindles and Nooks just squeal on you.
  I wonder if the "read-kindle-ebook-on-your-laptop" programs are as nosy.  

News Domination

That Roberts court sure knows how to take over the news.  It's been nothing but talk about the Obamacare decision since Thursday.  Needless to say, I was disappointed that we are still stuck with Obamacare with just a slight watering down.  I had been hoping the Supremes would save us from our own folly.  No such luck.
  We will have to do it the old fashioned way, at the ballot box in November.  If that doesn't work, the US of A goes down the same drain Greece is going down today.  So far Obama care has jacked up everyone's insurance costs and  has kept un employment high thru classic FUD (fear uncertainty and doubt) tactics.
   All I can figure is Roberts feared the uproar that Obamacare repeal would cause, and rather than be subjected to the storm of criticism, he found a face saving out that leaves Obamacare still at large in the land.  Good courageous lawyering at work.

Inconspicuous Consumption vs Great Depression 2.0

They used to rave on and on about unchecked consumerism. Vance Packard with The Wastemakers.  My mother used to grumble about how commercial Christmas had become. Keeping up with the Joneses.  Buying a new Detroit car every three years.  Well, that unchecked consumerism used to provide 70% of the American  Gross National Product.
    Fast forward to the 2010's.  That new Detroit car will last to 150,000 miles and is still looking pretty nice and new after 6 years on the road.  My father used to trade every 3 years just before the rust came thru the rocker panels.  I can remember all of those family cars after all these years.  Me, I still bought new, but kept them for 6 years.  Modern galvanized rocker panels don't rust out.  Yearly auto sales peaked at 17 million back in '05 and have dropped off to 10 million today.   Not even teenagers buy new clothes anymore.  Take a look at your high school students.  Urban grunge is the style today.  The baggy layered look helps conceal the muffin tops.  Two of my three children don't even own cars. 
    In short, Americans are consuming less, durable goods are more durable,  the hot new electronic toys are fairly cheap and as consumer demand drops off,  so does employment. 

Winter's Bone

After seeing  Hunger Games, I  netflixed this one 'cause it had Jennifer Lawrence starring in it.  I watched the first half hour or so and then I couldn't take anymore.  The poverty and misery in which Ree is living is just too deep for me to suffer thru it.  I couldn't watch another hour or so of this kind of misery.  I turned it off and went to bed.
   I'm sure Jennifer did a fine job of acting but I watch movies for entertainment and relaxation, not to have all the misery of the world played out in my living room.  That is neither entertaining nor relaxing.
 

Chucklehead

They are discussing the few congressional democrats who are going to vote Holder in contempt of Congress. Bob Beckel (on Fox Five) opines that these democrats are deserting their party only because their districts are full of Republicans and NRA members.  True blue democrats would never yield to threats from their voters.  Caving to the will of the district is despicable.
    I got news for you Bob baby.  Those districts elected those guys and the districts have every right to to expect their reps to vote their way.  That's what reps are supposed to do, represent their districts.  That's democracy.  Party loyalty is never supposed to over ride the duty to your own voters.

Game of Thrones

Well, I got to the end of Season I, including the last episode where the 'net buzz has it that they used a George W. Bush head on a spike in place of Lord Eddart Stark (Sean Bean).  I watched closely but I didn't think the head on the spike looked much like anybody, not Bush, not Sean Bean.  I enjoyed it.  Lots of cool costumes and neat sets.  Lots of scantily clad women.  Good thing we got cable now.  The FCC would have had a conniption over several juicy scenes. 
   It's dark.  There are a lot of really rotten bad guys, and none of them have gotten their just deserts yet.  Good guys have taken some hits.  Young Bran Stark pushed out a 5th floor window by Jaime Lannister.  Sansa Stark  has her pet dire wolf killed and winds up a captive at the mercy of boy king Joffrey "Baratheon" (actually Joffrey is a Lannister bastard.  Eddart Stark beheaded for treason in the public square. Grim stuff. 
   Guess I have to wait a while before Season 2 makes it to Netflix.  My cable doesn't carry HBO.

Strange...

Going to the national convention always used to be a big deal.  Everyone wants to go.  Hell, even my mother got to go to the national Republican convention one year. 
Now we are hearing that a number of heavy duty democrats are NOT going to the convention in Charlotte.  Claire McCaskell from Missouri is the latest "I'm not going" announcement.
Hmm.  Not a good sign for Obama when politicians avoid his convention.