Archive for April, 2009

NEUROTIC MEN IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF WOMEN, but not vice versa.

FACEMASKS ARE top items on Amazon. (Via Drudge). As I suggest below, the panic may be excessive. But maybe people will keep these on hand for later. Some good-news/bad-news perspective here. “Now of course, we have no idea currently what kind of levels of illness or hospitalization H1N1 would cause if it becomes established in the population, but this is a situation where there’s a small chance of a very bad situation, and so we need to prepare for it as best we can. . . . for now, we’re still seeing cases increase, and the prudent thing to do is be careful and prepared. Weren’t any of these nay-sayers ever Boy Scouts?” Seems sensible. And I do like the term “aporkalypse.”

UPDATE: Mexican Ambassador Says Flu’s Reach Exaggerated.

AN INEXPENSIVE PORTABLE ROUTER that turns 3G into WiFi.

WHEN ROBOTS ATTACK: “Man is apparently no match for machine. Although the worker tried to defend himself, he suffered four broken limbs and nearly lost his life. The company was fined 25,000 kronor ($3,000) for negligent safety precautions, but the robot managed to evade assault charges.”

Gosh, I hope he was insured.

UPDATE: A couple of readers point out that the original source says broken ribs, not limbs as in the quote above. Either way, remember: When robots grab you with their steely claws, you can’t get away, because they’re stronger than you, and they’re made of metal.

THE KOH NOMINATION: Sovereigntism’s Last Stand? Many Americans will be surprised to hear that there is such a thing, or that it’s having its last stand.

SWINE FLU VICTIM: “It’s not so terrible.” It’s just the flu. Well, “just the flu” still kills a fair number of people, but on the other hand, with only seven deaths reported so far this may turn out to be an Emily Litella crisis. Let’s hope — though if there’s a lot of overreaction, followed by a fizzle, it’ll make it harder to get people to cooperate next time, when things might be more serious.

CAN THE TESLA MODEL S BE PROFITABLE at $57,400?

WAS HARRY TRUMAN a war criminal? In the future, everyone will be a war criminal for fifteen minutes.

BANK OF AMERICA’S SHAREHOLDERS vote for change! “After months of anger at Bank of America (BAC) chairman and CEO Ken Lewis, shareholders voted to fire him as board chairman yesterday at the company’s annual meeting in Charlotte. Lewis had a terrible year in 2008, as did everyone in the banking industry, but he had the added baggage of having withheld material adverse information from his shareholders about the forced merger of BAC with Merrill Lynch late last year. . . . Ken Lewis’s shareholders have now taken their revenge for what Paulson forced him to do. (They’re within their rights, of course, and I’m not arguing any differently.) The SEC now has to decide whether to bring enforcement action against Lewis and the BAC board. That would be a distinct injustice, unless they also choose to go after Paulson (not bloody likely). . . . One hundred days ago, we entered a new era, in which heavy government intervention in American industry is considered normal, rather than for emergencies only. And so far, the signs are that both Congress and the Administration are entirely willing to intervene heavily and unilaterally, not only in governance decisions but even in management decisions.”

Plus, from Megan McArdle: “Right now, Ken Lewis remains CEO–the board expressed unanimous support. But at this point, it seems likely that it’s only a matter of time. (If it isn’t, it will become a famous business school case on the Principal-Agent problem.)”