State of the Union Visually

 The top 500 words from the 2010 state of the union address. This wordle excludes the word "Applause" which appears over 120 times on the official version of the speech.

Click to see larger version. Created using wordle

Very Funny Parody of the News

This is a spot-on parody by Charlie Brooker of how reporters deliver news stories

I Forgot He Was Black

The POTUS was (probably) referring to Fox when during the State of the Union address he said, "The more that TV pundits reduce serious debates to silly arguments, big issues into sound bites, our citizens turn away."

Turns out it was Chris Matthews who produced the goofiest sound bite of the night. Keith Olbermann is not going to be happy with Chris Matthews.

Fiscal Reform Should Start with Public Pensions

Boston Globe

Out of control public pensions illustrate fiscal irresponsibility. Fiscal responsibility can begin in the same place. I'm sure it's true everywhere, but the three-way incestuous relationship among the state legislature, public unions and public officials in Massachusetts is jaw-dropping.

You're Welcome

CBS/AP

I'm starting to think Congress is out of touch.  No really. They take such good care of us most of the time.

Everyone deserves a brief vacation. After all, they have healthcare, two wars, a trillion dollar deficit and the a tidal wave of unemployment to worry about. Who wouldn't need to get away. Copenhagen? For the weekend? Pick me... pick me.

Minnesota is Apparently Desperate for a Point Guard

by Jerry Holt, Star Tribune

As I was looking for articles praising excoriating Brett Favre for his late-game decision-making, I came across this little gem. An 8th grader who's starting for his high school's varsity team has caught the attention of Tubby Smith, coach of UMinnesota.

From the Minneapolis Star Tribune: "Apple Valley eighth-grader Tyus Jones is already a starting point guard on the varsity team, and his exploits have caught Tubby Smith's attention."

The Great Communicator....Pull the Plug, Please

No, this is not Show and Tell. The guy actually brought his teleprompter and Secret Service to a bunch of six-graders. Six-graders!! Now that's impressive.

What do you suppose those crafty speech writers had the talking head read off his teleprompter? See Spot Run, See Judy run. See Spot and Judy run.

Boy can this guy can read.

Next time Barrack, leave the appliances at home and just try for a change to be a normal guy surrounded by kids. Relax, maybe sit in a circle and let them enjoy the presidential visit. Talk with them, take a few of their questions. And don't worry what they ask and how you answer. Have some fun. It's okay. Remember they're only 12 years old. They won't vote for another 6 years.

Anyone Can Live in Arizona

The pleasure of waking up to a thin layer of ice in the kitchen sink.

The New York Times has a story about what real Americans do in the winter - we turn down the heat and enjoy the cold. We look for that inner excitement which comes from living ever so close to freezing.

Who'd want to live in a warm climate anyway?

Golfers? Too obsessive (chasing a white ball looking for the perfect hit).

Tennis players? Too narcissistic (looking for the perfect tan).

Give me the cold any day. And once we pick out the latest down-filled jacket, we can burn that LL Bean catalog for warmth. Ah the joys of winter.

Wow - Feeling Really, Really Red in a Blue State

A little overwrought? Boston Globe columnists often lean well to the left. But this? This is so far left that it's hard to comprehend the reason behind it. Brian McGrory may think his fantasy/ opinion column is funny - and I suppose at some puerile level it is - but it may also reveal how completely out of touch the Dems were in this critical election.

Characterizing Scott Brown's victory as a one-night stand is way over the top. And the taking off the shirt image is a stomach-turner.

Voters were sending a message. And they know that Brown has to stand for re-election in just 2 years. So sending him to Washington is low risk with the potential for a very high return.

Read the piece, but be ready for that queazy, doesn't-this-belong-in-the-porn-aisle feeling. At least now I know what Dems mean when they say they want politicians who are in touch with the voters.

The Flutie Effect

Le Moyne College continues to gather publicity for its pre-season upset of Syracuse University. A New York Times article and a similar Associated Press posting has kept the story alive.

Division I coaches seem to be astonished that a DII program could defeat a top-5 powerhouse. But they assume that Le Moyne has a once in a blue moon team. They'd like to believe that Syracuse was defeated by an unusually talented small college team.

Real life being what it is, however, the Dolphins - with their $3,900 recruiting budget and $70,000 per year head coach - have not been able to be Cinderella. The magic slippers have just not fit. Despite boasting a DII All-American who might get a shot at the NBA, they've been just so-so in their conference. In retrospect, it appears that they anticipated a solid season this year. After all, they even scheduled a game with St. Bonaventure. The game turned out to be a 9 point loss, but that's hardly unexpected.  What is unexpected is a record closer to .500 than a national title.

Le Moyne has a long basketball tradition. They've beaten Boston College the last two times they played. Current Michigan coach John Beilein is a former Dolphin coach. And they have a substantial advantage over former rival and current MAAC power Siena College.

All of this forms a backdrop to a possible move to Division I.  It would be better than playing in front of 800 fans on a snowy January evening, I imagine.

Massachusetts - YES

I suppose there is no better state in the whole United States to deal a crippling blow to one Barrack Hussein Obama. Not even the bluest of the blue can take another minute of this guys rubbish. Finally, "the power of the people" prevail. I can't wait for November of 2010 and November 2012 when we can kick all the bums to the curb. And yes, I mean Democrats and Republicans. It's time to start over, so here's to you Massachusetts for bringing back the "Spirit of 76" to all Americans.

Obama Slams Wall Street - Main Street Shudders

The President has decided to go all populous on the banks. It's a good idea. But it may not hit the intended target. Because, let's face it, just who is going to be punished?

Is there any chance in the universe that any senior manager at any bank will personally take a hit? It's highly unlikely they're going to suddenly work without raises for a few years. Or go without bonuses.

On the other hand, raise your hand if you're a stockholder. A bank retiree. A depositor or borrower. A lower-level employee. That's right, you and me and the rest of the gang. We're going pay for Obama's anger. Not that it's his fault. His goal is well intentioned. But he's slamming the behavior without changing the game. We've all criticized hockey for having too much fighting. But when we go to the game, fights still break out. Because it's the players who are being targeted. Imagine if every time a fight broke out, the owners and senior staff were denied their take of the revenue for the game. How long would fighting last in hockey?

Here's an idea: order banks to be more customer focused and change fundamental behavior. If we can force auto makers to change their vehicles, we can certainly force banks to change their products. I can only imagine what it's like to create a new car. The design and engineering challenges must be incredibly daunting.  It must be a huge challenge. And yet surviving car makers are (seemingly) making the necessary changes.

On the other hand, banks resist fundamental change. It's not rocket science to create bank products. It just isn't.  A little math, a few spreadsheets and voila, new products can be rolled out in no time. And let's be honest, are they actually products?  They're selling air. It's harder to create the marketing campaign to sell their products than to create the products themselves. Which is why the bigger banks do so well. They have more marketing muscle.

So it's time to change the game. Force big banks to pay out more as a percentage of earnings to depositors. Set strict lending practices that provides more working capital for small businesses and homeowners. Reduce fees. Set profit disbursement performance standards that prevent accumulation at the top of organizations or in communities far from where the money was earned. Change the game so that local communities benefit from banks and don't constantly feel that they're being ripped off. Then wield the ultimate game changer: break up big banks - regardless of profitability - if they don't achieve the goals.

Chris Dodd is Retiring

Chris Dodd is retiring. It's about time. And it will only be better if some of his colleagues follow him out the door.

Arrogant. Corrupt. Oblivious. Quite the legacy.

No Sense in Letting the Recovery Take Hold

Megan Woolhouse, Boston Globe.

"A study by The Pew Charitable Trusts, an independent nonprofit, found the median interest rate advertised by most credit card companies in July 2009 was 13 to 23 percent higher than rates in December 2008."

The banks are not going to take regulation lying down. They've fired a preemptive strike. Credit rates are going to rise and rise quickly in the next few months. Just what our economy needs right now. Tighter credit with predatory rates.  Let's see what Congress does. Especially now that we're entering an election year.

Unemployment Numbers Explanation

Maybe an this is the explanation for why unemployment jumped. It's the up-until-now resilient self-employed who are finally feeling the pinch. Catherine Rampell.

It might be the self-employed, said Joseph Brusuelas, director at Moody’s Economy.com. Self-employed workers are not included in payroll (establishment) numbers, and the household survey data show that this group was hit particularly hard in the last month. 

There may be some hope in the darker numbers, though. From Dave Leonhardt at Economix.

The drop in the blue line toward the right side of the chart shows the pick-up of job loss in September (to 219,000). In October, job losses fell to 190,000 — better than September but still not as good as August (154,000 job losses). Looking at these numbers, you might be tempted to conclude the recovery in the job market has stalled; things have not really improved over the last few months.

Still going to be a tough holiday season, though.