SAR #12077

Civilization is based on finite resources we treat as infinite.

Loose Lips: The times were not quite ready for Admiral John Poindexter's Total Information Awareness program back in 2002. Times have changed. The National Snooping Security Agency is building a new data center in Utah designed to capture literally all the electronic communications from all over the world, filter through them in real time to identify enemies of the state, and file them all away to use against you in the future, if needed. My wife says I shouldn't report stuff like this; I tell her it's too late.

An Apple A Day: A great exculpatory furor is being made over the "lies" contained in Mike Daisey's piece about working conditions at Foxconn, Apple's Chinese manufacturer. Keep in mind that at no point do they deny that the things he reported occurred, simply that he did not actually see all of them happen or interview the victims personally.

Prices vs Inflation: The BLS reports that the CPI grew by 0.4% in February, m/m and 2.9% y/y. But those who walk everywhere and don't eat say their “core” inflation grew by only 0.1%. Nearly all of the increase was due to the increase in energy prices, but without an increase in wages (really, sometimes – in the distant past – wages used to increase) price increases put deflationary pressure on other items. The customer has, you may have noticed, a limited supply of cash.

West Side Story: Rick Santorum told Puerto Ricans to stick to their own kind – the Democrats. Then he promised to “vigorously” go after Internet porn. I wasn't going to vote for him anyway.

Having & Getting: In 2010, on average we made $29,840, down nearly $5,000 from 2000 and just about the same as we made back in 1966. In 2010, the other guys' average income went up by $4.2 million – each - to $23,800,000, which was $18.7 million more than they took home in 1966. This disparity is the result of government policies, which will eventually change. Or be changed.

Porn O'Graph: School daze.