Instahoglets for Jan 2, 2009

By BJ

And so now I have to remember to start putting '09' down when I sign and date things, just after I finally got used to using '08'. Seems unfair somehow.

Flying while Muslim still a hazard.

There never was a golden age of American journalism: Lance Mannion discusses the American Okee-doke.

Since there is no shortage of coverage of Israel's side of the current bloodletting in Gaza, I offer a Palestinian's take on the situation.

In the current financial mess, bigger is most definitely not better. The small community banks are doing just fine while their massive brethren beg for handouts. A lesson in resiliency?

Staying on the financial side of things, it turns out that many universities are partnering with credit card companies for profit at their students expense. I refused to get a credit card while I was attending university, believing in that small "c" conservative principle of living within your means as much as possible, and given I already needed student loans, the idea of adding additional debt seemed imprudent, especially given I know I would have made use of such credit during lean months had it been available. University is the first time many people actually live away from their parents and start learning the whole concept of budgeting and responsibility for themselves. Advancing easy credit their way generally finds itself abused before the concept is truly understood. Good for the credit card companies, bad for the students, (at least those without parents capable and willing to bail them out), and I'm not too impressed to see that the universities themselves are sucking the corporate tit in this manner, even if it isn't really a surprise.

Moving to science, a smoking ban leads to a massive drop in heart attacks, giving some indication of the serious health consequences of second-hand smoke.

And there is some evidence that the Younger Dryas may have begun as the result of a meteor impact, though that's far from conclusive at this point.

And we all have to extend out congratulations to Fester and the Mrs for their new addition.

Happy New Year to everyone.

Comments

[Eric]

Hullabaloo

Friday, January 02, 2009

Totally Different

by digby

Jonathan Schwarz takes a trip down Israel's Memory Lane and finds something interesting:

The funny thing about the Israeli attack on Gaza following its long blockade is that Israel's original justification for taking over Gaza in 1967 was that Israel was being subject to a blockade. This is from the official Knesset history of the Six Day War:

Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser blockaded the Straits of Tiran on May 21st and 22nd to all shipping from and to Eilat; the area was open to Israeli ships under UN supervision since 1957, and Israel repeatedly stated that such a blockade will be considered as casus belli (justification for acts of war).

Ooops.

Jonathan also does a search and finds that nobody in journalism seems to drawn attention to this obvious parallel in all the talk about blockade and retaliation.

How odd.

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