Good News, Everyone!

Futurama Season 3 Episode 11: 9:43-10:48

The future is now and the numbers are in:

The US poverty rate is highest since 1993!

And median household income dropped below its level in 1997 to boot!

The Dares Continue!

http://news.yahoo.com/republicans-block-senate-disaster-aid-bill-222053915.html

For context, see our previous post on escalating Republican dares.

Agricultural Development Research: The Low Hanging Fruit Rots

South Park: Season 3, Episode 11

It’s true, on average, registered Republicans are more charitable than registered Democrats (we won’t dwell on normalizing this for household income…). But their GOP representatives in Congress, like Pat Robertson and the Christian Broadcasting Network in this episode of South Park, seem to be misdirecting their focus. They are intent on cutting assistance to perhaps the most successful social welfare research of all time, and they want to do it during one of the worst humanitarian crisis of the decade.

US Tax Policy: A Series of Escalating Dares

Arrested Development Season 2, Episode 13: MotherBoy XXX

There is only one explanation for the blatantly pro-rich, anti-everyone else policy proposals coming from the Republican congressional representatives and presidential candidates. They are stuck in a loop of ever-escalating dares. Even they might regret it in the morning. Gob would know. The GOP doesn’t.

Please???

South Park: Season 5, Episode 5

Without a stronger stimulus package, or other real, fiscal policy to reduce debt burdens and get money liquid in the economy again – the Democrats economic strategy for incentivizing businesses to hire and reduce unemployment has been reduced to that of the 10 year olds featured above. Then again, its probably better than the other option being presented…

Patenting Ideas: The Simpson’s Did It

South Park, Season 6, Episode 7 (skip to 1:27–2:58) 

Butters Stotch, the big hearted, gullible boy whose secret identity is “Dr. Chaos: The Bringer of Destruction and Doom” spends this episode dreaming up schemes of mayhem, only to be constantly reminded of and eventually mentally shackled by the fact that every single one was already featured in “The Simpsons” many years before. Meanwhile, Google, the proud owner of the famous moniker “Don’t Be Evil”, but who also is also accumulating the largest store of our personal information, is arguably also being creatively stifled by the same “Simpson’s Did It” paradigm – patent law abuse.  

Atlas [didn't] Shrug – Europe Pulls Together for Another Greek Bailout

Arrested Development: Season 2, Episode 1

After Michael’s foiled attempt to escape to Phoenix, Gob Bluth – black listed, semi-professional magician – has found himself in charge of the company and must convince the board why they should trust him. Oddly enough, his reasoning is pretty close to what needs to happen if we think Greece has any hope of ever being solvent again.