StrangeSox

QUOTE (TaylorStSox @ Feb 19, 2013 -> 10:50 PM) Norton really sucks. Use Avast. It's free and stable.

That's not really what the research was looking at. It wasn't about individuals getting raises, it was about the total share of income growth that was captured by a given segment of the income distribution. If the total income in the US increased by $1000 Billion dollars 2009-2011, then the total income of the top 1% increased by $1210 Billion during the same time period. In other words, the top 1% captured every dollar of growth during that period and then some, meaning that the other 99% saw a net drop in income. That's both in real dollars and in relative percentage of the total income shares. You're right when you point to the fact that the growth has been in investment income, though. Wages have been stagnant or declining for a while now and were really hammered in 2007-2008. Yet, despite record profits (investment growth), we're not seeing wages come up. It wasn't always the case that the only way to increase income was by already being well-off and investing money, but that's been the trend for a while now and it's really kicked up lately, as evidence by the fact that 1% is capturing more than 100%. Bloomberg had a recent article about Walmart on why, long-term, this type of "growth" and having almost all of the wealth be captured by such a tiny slice of the population isn't good for anybody. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-02-15/w...in-e-mails.html

huh?

QUOTE (chw42 @ Feb 19, 2013 -> 05:20 PM) They look really nice, but if you judge on sound quality alone, you can do way better at the price. I'd say they're the Bose of the headphone world except Bose has that covered too.

yeah, wtf was I thinking posting academic economic research?!?!

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadge...beats-audio.htm

The laffer curve is only useful if it can be used to call for ever-lower tax rates!

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 15, 2013 -> 04:25 PM) Federal prosecutors formally announced charges against former-rep Jesse Jackson Jr. (and his wife, a former Alderman). Some of the items on that (a mink cape???) were ridiculous

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/02/15/ip...acts_and_phone/

The Social Trends Driving American Gangs and Gun Violence Some interesting stuff there, interview of U of C professor by Ta-Nehisi Coates.

Freedomworks believes in the labor theory of value?

Emmanuel Saez has an updated paper out looking at income distributions. The top 1% have captured 121% of income growth since 2009. http://www.scribd.com/doc/125269359/Gettin...her-Edmund-Saez

So it turns out that the "task force" that was part of the mortgage fraud settlement with all of the states attorneys general never really existed or did anything, further proving just how terrible that settlement was. http://www.salon.com/2013/02/13/wall_street_wins_again/ this was the last part of the fraud: QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Nov 15, 2012 -> 11:44 AM) I know this came up way back when the banks were signing that bogus settlement agreement with the various states' attorneys over their fraudulent foreclosures, but turns out that the banks will be using investor money to write down mortgages they may or may not own: http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2012/11/que...e-to-roost.html

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 15, 2013 -> 08:05 AM) Incredible. I wonder if it was related to the asteroid that came so close to the earth the other day. Just heard on my way into work that it's not related according to NASA.

the right-wing media are now making up fake groups to supposedly tarnish Hagel http://www.slate.com/blogs/weigel/2013/02/...t_actually.html

QUOTE (Rex Hudler @ Feb 14, 2013 -> 09:14 PM) Or get a job digging ditches, what's your point? They have choices, just because you don't like the choices, doesn't make them wrong. That the ncaa is s***?

QUOTE (Rex Hudler @ Feb 14, 2013 -> 09:36 PM) Your stance on that makes me want to puke. It is so far off of reality, I'm not even goint to argue the point. Cool.

Nbpa ostensibly wanted no restrictions, sounds like a compromise was reached.

count me as confused, too.

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Feb 14, 2013 -> 06:46 PM) No it doesnt. They gave away something they didnt want, and got something valuable in return. Thats called winning. Its just like in a trade where 1 team is giving up a player they dont really want, but feels the other team highly values them. They try and get as much as possible for the player, but eventually make the deal when theyve pushed as far as they can. I dont know how that can be construed as f***ing up. Which is why when it becomes public that a team really, really wants to unload a player, they can't get as much for them.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Feb 14, 2013 -> 05:15 PM) Go read up on what Kentucky basketball players get (and other similar D1 programs). They live a very nice lifestyle in college. Better with tens of millions in the bank? Sure. But not anything like their dirt-poor upbringing. Above-board and within NCAA regulations? Nobody's arguing that the NCAA isn't corrupt as hell as-is, but that's a point against the "paying players will ruin the game" side.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 14, 2013 -> 05:00 PM) If you want a comparison, a similar number of NFL players have the same issue within a few years of retirement. So basically, college years seem to have little impact on whether or not a player goes bankrupt when his career ends. THat is true both in teaching financial literacy and in terms of the player's long term earnings potential. In other words, it's really the wrong issue. So I'm left wondering what you were trying to say. Were you agreeing with me?

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Feb 14, 2013 -> 04:59 PM) Exactly. That is why its nonsense to suggest 1 year of college is going to dramatically improve someones chances about being foolish with their money. There is literally no evidence to support it. Maybe if there were mandatory personal finance classes for all scholarship athletes, but then there's that article Balta just posted in the 'buster about how ineffective financial education efforts are in general...

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 14, 2013 -> 04:56 PM) So then let's turn around and ask on the other end...by some estimates, within a few years after retirement, 60% of NBA players are broke. What are you asking? How many of that 60% are ex-college players? How many were 3-4 year college players? Is there any evidence that those extra years in college is buying them anything long-term and not actively reducing their lifetime income by taking valuable early playing years away from them? I fully endorse every potential professional athlete who wants to completing a full undergrad degree. I also have no problem with any of them who have no interest in college in the first place wanting to skip a fake year of it.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 14, 2013 -> 04:55 PM) You are wrong. It was a major issue in the last bargaining. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5899152 So what did they get in exchange for allowing it? What negotiating room did that buy them?