Assorted Links 6/23/09 Archives

Assorted Links 6/23/09

Tracking and Monitoring Legislation: How to Find and Use Congressional Documents, June 25, 2009 - with WiFi Classroom
How to Research and Compile Legislative Histories, June 26, 2009 - with WiFi Classroom
Drafting Effective Federal Legislation and Amendments, July 29, 2009
Preparing and Delivering Congressional Testimony, July 30, 2009
Advanced Federal Budget Process, August 3-4, 2998
Advanced Legislative Strategies, August 5-7, 2009
Book touring in Beijing - "It was when the elderly Chinese lady clambered up on to the stage as I was doing a reading and began a curious, undulating dance to music playing out of her cellphone, that I first started to think: book touring in China is very different from elsewhere and, in many ways, totally weird. It all began with the sale of my most recent book to a Chinese publisher. I had written about the eccentric Cambridge biochemist Joseph Needham, whose adulterous love affair with a Chinese student in 1937 led to him writing what turned out be the longest English book on China ever written--25 volumes and more than 4m words. In Britain, Needham is almost entirely forgotten beyond the confines of academia. But in China he is widely known and universally revered."
The Left watches as industry hijacks yet another "progressive reform" - "It was hard-core anti-smoking groups hoping to drive cigarette companies out of business that started the push for federal regulation of tobacco. Now Philip Morris ended up writing the bill in a way that may drive smaller companies out of business, but preserves and likely the tobacco giant's dominance. It was Upton Sinclair's The Jungle that started a rallying cry for federal regulation of meat, but it was the meatpackers who wrote the legislation, again crushing competitors, bilking taxpayers, and helping the Bigs get Bigger through regulatory barriers to entry. ... When you give government more power, you give the big lobbyists more influence."
Chinese Coal Rides A Maglev. Why Don’t We?
What will drive future growth?
Oregon Decides to Tax Jobs, Not Suds
House Prices and the Unemployment Rate, Washington D.C.
Confessions of a TARP Wife - "I know people are angry--angry at those they view as responsible for the subprime crisis and the subsequent economic meltdown. I don’t blame them. I’m angry too. But my fury extends to any number of culprits: to Alan Greenspan, who encouraged the loose-money policies that undermined the pricing of risk; to Barney Frank, who cudgeled Fannie Mae into supporting loans to unfit homebuyers; to the rating agencies that were ethically compromised; to the subprime-mortgage brokers who chased fees and ignored any accountability; to the investors who didn’t do their homework and absurdly leveraged up their balance sheets. I’m an equal-opportunity blamer. And yes, I blame those who were in charge of the big banks--including my husband--for not seeing the default tsunami coming. But almost no one did. Everyone knows this, yet financial CEOs have replaced the Mob as the most despised group in the country. The good news is that Americans have short attention spans. Before long, some other group will come along to absorb all the frustration and anger."
The Best Places to Start Over
It is about Iran, not about America! - "What has changed is Iran. Back in 2000 Iran was run by a so-called reformist who was running into opposition from the same forces that have recently showed just how dishonest Iran's system is. Today Iranians are on the streets in protest against that act of massive electoral fraud and the regime's violent response. It is about them. It is not about us"
Say Farewell To Kodachrome Film
The Benefits of a Classical Education
Two students, two schools - "Kyle is taking community college classes this summer. Henry hopes to return to LA to hang out with friends."
Toyoda: “Toyota’s Screw-Ups Look Like GM’s”
CRE: Chicago Eyesore - "Every CRE bust leaves what Crain's Chicago Business calls the Waterview: 'a 26-story concrete monument symbolizing the excesses of the real estate boom'"
Belkin Announces Gigabit Powerline HD Starter Kit - "Even if you lose a good part of that bandwidth, most network cards still only operate at 100 Mb/s. If this device holds up to its claims (and can provide a more reliable connection than wireless), it might be worth the $150 price tag."
Arthur Conan Doyle, Good Kindle Books at a Glance #15
Buying two Kindles
Kindle 2 for Singaporeans!
Medtronic's Aggressive Move into Diabetes Market
Glucose Buddy Helps to Watch Glucose Levels Over Time - free app for your iPod or iPhone