Evangelical litmus tests and the World Series: why we all need to be rooting against the Colorado Rockies

The World Series starts tomorrow night and people around here have gone Rockies crazy. I’m getting asked a lot if I’m excited, and the answer is yes - Go Red Sox! They all want to know “why aren’t you rooting for Colorado?” So I’m answering them:
First off, the Red Sox are my favorite team. Second, [...]

The future of news: rational business decisions

Begin writing the long-term obituary of the American newspaper — at least for the newspaper envisioned by the Founders as a public service and a significant component of the checks and balances that once allowed American democracy to function properly and purposefully.
You think know the now-familiar story: Advertising revenues are down. Circulation’s declining. Corporate ownership [...]

Have we finally discovered a disadvantage to corporate personhood?

For decades now corporations have been granted the rights of people without the commensurate responsibilities. Finally, there’s a chance that this will be partly reversed. The Supreme Court heard today the case of Stoneridge Investment Partners vs. Scientific-Atlanta Inc., a case that is being billed by many securities law experts as the “Roe [...]

“Data Shadows” and online privacy

I learned a new word yesterday: “Data Shadow”. It’s the footprint your activity data makes on the infosphere- your credit, cell phone and banking records, and your tracks on the Internet. I’ve been online for over 15 years, so my Internet ‘data shadow’ is quite long, I’m afraid. There isn’t much I can do to [...]

Justice Department on net neutrality: “Trust us”

Yesterday the Justice Department filed comments with the Federal Communications Commission opposing the principle of “net neutrality” and urging the FCC not to sanction regulations to protect it. In a report and press statement that sound like they were written by executives from AT&T and Verizon, the DOJ regurgitates telecom talking points that falsely claim [...]

Comcast and the amazing invisible bandwith barrier

If you’re a Comcast subscriber who likes to use your connection for downloading videos, playing games, or anything more intensive than surfing the Web and checking e-mail, watch out–your connection could get restricted or shut off without any notice.
My esteemed ConsumerAffairs.Com colleague Joseph Enoch has more:
The company has a bandwidth limitation that, if broken, [...]

Unfriendly cellphone contracts shine light on dangers of arbitration

This week’s Business Week has a look at how the wireless industry is being challenged over its notoriously unfriendly contracts, which demand consumers give up their rights to resolution by jury trial or class action in court in favor of arbitration:
One class action involving early-termination charges, a leading gripe among cell users, should get a [...]

Bush’s first crime: a cold case warms up

Harkening back to Harken.
(First posted at Smirking Chimp on July 29.)

“In the corporate world, some things aren’t exactly black and white when it comes to accounting procedures.”
– George W. Bush
The reluctance of Congressional Democratic leaders to initiate impeachment proceedings against President Bush may be frustrating. But there’s an upside. For anyone seeking to file charges [...]

“Faith-based investing” and total economic collapse

In looking at the various examples of bad economic news over the last few days, I’ve been struck once again by how the supposedly rational, logical, God-forbid-we-regulate-it-because-it-works-fine-on-its-own free market is driven by the very human fears, frailties, and stupidities that govern so much else of human life.

Great moments in business history

Originally posted at Private Intelligence.
Hey, here’s a great idea!
Let’s take the ex-CEO of a floundering home improvement company, who got to walk away with a $210 million severance package despite years of bad management and languishing stock prices, and make him the new head of a floundering car company!
It makes perfect sense when you [...]

Is the Sirius-XM merger really good for radio fans?

Sirius Satellite Radio posted smaller losses and lower subscriber costs to Wall Street this week, which is about as good as a business that loses millions a year can expect–and that may have helped burnish its image a bit as the company pushes for acceptance of its takeover buyout of merger with XM Radio.
The merger’s [...]

Breeding for Christ, conservatism and consumerism

An interesting piece came across my desk the other day that paints a chilling picture of how strong the religious right’s death grip is on American culture and politics…and how that death grip is actually maintained by business interests who want to ensure that the American machine keeps rolling along.

Zimbabwe: the Hollow State

Three weeks ago Tama Muru from the BBC asked me if I thought Zimbabwe would explode. At the time I said, “No.” Was I wrong?
The situation three weeks ago was this:

The Zimbabwe dollar was worth less than the paper it’s printed on
Zimbabwe is short of everything and produces virtually no food on some [...]

Presidential candidates raise big cash fast — but from whom? And why?

A magician who seeks to retain his (or her) illusion for — and thus control over — the audience uses sleight of hand and misdirection. In the modern political era that began in earnest with the 1994 mid-term elections, a Republican majority in Congress mastered that art using the textbooks authored by former House [...]

From a “pants lawsuit” to a right-wing talking point

You’re probably familiar with the case of Roy Pearson vs. the Chung cleaners over a pair of damaged pants that were allegedly worth $54 million. Here’s a recap for those who don’t know what the current state of affairs is.
The Chungs now owe over $100,000 in legal costs from the suit, which Pearson is [...]