SAR #14215

“Capitalism is at its essence is an ongoing process to define the arbitrary line that separates 'self-interest' from 'corruption”. Greg Grandin

Spoiling For War: Much of the cash, most of the weapons, and a great deal of the surveillance technology that Israel depends on in its campaign against Palestinian women and children and the occasional male who just might be Hamas comes directly from the US. The UK has had enough and is reviewing its aid to Israel.

The Quick and The Dead; The Google game “Bomb Gaza” in which players are required to “drop bombs and avoid killing citizens” had an appropriately short shelf life. Even so... 
 
Referent: “An Illinois man ‘showing off’ his shotgun to friends fatally shot himself in head to prove it was empty.”

Everything you need to know about Argentina’s weird default: Paul Singer.

Playing With Numbers: Object lesson: Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway reported a 41% gain in its profits. Not bad for an outfit that mostly just fiddles with paper and actually produces little but profits.

Keeping Score: That paragon of virtue, JPMorgan, has reached a $4.5 billion settlement with a group of investors, to settle charges arising from JPMorgan's “misrepresentation” of the worth and backing for pools of mortgage backed securities.

Simon Says: The question was “Can the cops go after you for filming them?” Wrong question. The question isn't 'can they', it is 'may they'. No. But they can and will.

Plotline: The leaders of African nations have been summoned to gathered in Washington to confer on economic growth. Whose economic growth might be guessed from the location.

Another Wall Street Bail Out: Housing-backed US bonds have undergone a significant selloff with (JPMorgan's view) “no fundamental reason.” If the reason was that 'liquidity has evaporated' and that traders were looking to dump their holdings. Bailing out.

Down The Drain: Radio Shack is doing so poorly that it doesn't even have enough money to close its stores, and its assets are so poor that no one will lend them enough money to help them stop losing all their money. 
 
Mirror Image: Those armed nuts running around intent on saving us from the terrorists (or the government, immigrants, gays and lesbians, scientists and John Stewart) are the considered to be the most serious terrorist threat facing the USA.

Asked And Answered: “Is there any way that continuing weak European employment statistics might get the Eurocrats to acknowledge that the economists advocating stimulus spending have been right all along?” No.

Porn O'Graph: On secret wars and wars' secrets.