Archive for January, 2013

LEGAL EDUCATION UPDATE: Law Schools Facing “Massive Layoffs” in Fall? “Thirty years ago if you were looking to get on the escalator to upward mobility, you went to business or law school. Today, the law school escalator is broken.” The business-school escalator isn’t looking so hot either.

AUSTRALIA: Asia’s Saudi Arabia? Oil and gas do seem to be turning up in all sorts of interesting places.

EARLIER THIS WEEK, I wrote about the revolving door between government and business, and the conflicts of interest it creates. But I should note the growing problem of the reportorial revolving door, as John Kerry hires the guy who’s been responsible for his coverage at the Boston Globe to be his State Department spokesperson.

WALTER RUSSELL MEAD: Intrepid Citizens Save Timbuktu’s Priceless Manuscripts. “Once again civilization survives barbarism: Timbuktu’s ancient literary treasures were not destroyed after all. In a classic example of how the uncertainty of war can make bad reporters of us all, local accounts apparently vastly exaggerated the damage done to the city’s legendary library. Not only was the place not burned to the ground—as the city’s mayor claimed—but the manuscripts themselves were removed from the library by Malians last year.” Well, good.

ASKING THE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS: Where Are The Bicycles In Post-Apocalyptic Fiction?

I think it depends on what you read. They’re very present in William Forstchen’s One Second After. Also in Steve Stirling’s Change novels — though the heroes in those always ride horses because, let’s face it, horses are cooler. Good science fiction writers tend to work out the economics in their worlds pretty carefully. Bad writers just assemble a melange of cliches.

If I were prepping for a truly post-apocalyptic world, I’d certainly lay in some bikes. And a whole lot of tires and puncture-repair kits. Hey, they’re cheap.

Of course, for the immediate post-apocalypse world, you’ll probably want to have emergency underwear dispensers scattered about.

MENENDEZ UPDATE: Menendez rushes to pay private-jet tab after FBI raid. “This comes at a particularly sensitive time, as Menendez is slated to take over for John Kerry as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Until last night, Menendez had insisted he did nothing wrong, but the sudden payment of $58,500 for private jet flights that took place almost three years ago makes it look as if there is more to the investigation than Menendez has admitted. If the Ethics Committee has begun to probe Menendez’ travel, perhaps Harry Reid should start considering a Plan B.”

Love the Absence of Malice reference. And the “Foreign Relations” punch lines write themselves.

“CIVILITY IS ONLY REQUIRED OF US:” NRA president says anti-gun advocates threatened to kill son, daughter.

Related: Anti-Gun Advocates Heckle Woman Wanting to Defend Her Children During Gun Violence Hearing.

UPDATE: More bullying: “Full text at the link, but you have to watch the video to understand the incivility of Durbin’s tone. . . . Of course, Durbin’s real point was not that background checks deter criminals from buying guns. The point was to find an opportunity for drama and to seize it. These so-called hearings have little to do with gathering information for the purpose of writing sound legislation. It’s political theater to build support for… oh, what difference does it make what they really do as long as they do something? . . . Remember the great call for civility that went out — from President Obama and many others — after the Tucson shootings? I’ve always used the tag ‘civility bullshit’ for that topic, because I never believed that it was intended to apply across the board. Imagine the reaction in the media if LaPierre had used the tone employed by Durbin.”

Yes, I had some thoughts on that civility bullshit myself.

HOW’S THAT HOPEY-CHANGEY STUFF WORKIN’ OUT FOR YA? (CONT’D): Jobless Claims Rise Sharply. “Jobless claims surged this week, missing expectations by the most since Sandy as seasonal affectations are in the rear-view mirror. For 13 months, we have meandered around a flat-line initial claims number in the 365k range – and we remain there.”

UPDATE: Reader Tom Deakins writes: “You forgot to mention that this latest surge was unexpected.” Well, that goes without saying, by now.

CULTURE OF CORRUPTION: Complaint: Sebelius’ illegal campaign trip for Obama worse than we thought.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius violated federal law by campaigning for President Obama on the taxpayers’ dime, but now that initial violation has the Democratic National Committee and an HHS aide in the spotlight for related alleged infractions.

A nonprofit government watchdog filed a complaint alleging that the DNC violated campaign finance law by misreporting the money it spent to reimburse HHS for Sebelius’ trip in a way that masked the fact that the Hatch Act, a ban on political campaigning by government employees working in their official capacity, had been violated. . . .

“Not only is it that the DNC is not being transparent about what it’s using its funds for reimbursement of, but it’s also violating the intent and letter of the Federal Elections Campaign Act,” Cause of Action’s Dan Epstein said in a phone interview with The Washington Examiner. “Whether it’s to cover up the Hatch Act violation or to just not properly report it, it’s very clear that it’s not properly reported — [for] the reason why, one would have to look into the minds of the lawyers at the DNC.”

Epstein floated the idea that the DNC reimbursed HHS (rather than the Treasury Department) and classified it as travel, rather than as a reimbursement for an independent expenditure in order to avoid the appearance that the Treasury Department had effectively loaned money to the Obama campaign for the trip (which would be another violation of federal law, he said).

Good grief.

HIGHER EDUCATION BUBBLE UPDATE: Mark Cuban: Will Your College Go Out Of Business Before You Graduate? “When I look at the university and college systems around the country I see the newspaper industry.”

Plus: “The smart high school grad no longer just picks a school, borrows money and wings it. Your future depends on your ability to assemble an educational plan that gets you on your path of knowledge and discovery without putting you at risk of attending a school that is doomed to fail , and/or saddling you with a debt heavy balance sheet that prevents you from taking the chances, searching for the opportunities or just being a fuck up for a while. We each take our own path, but nothing shortcuts the dreams of a 22 year old more than owing a shitload of money.”

UPDATE: Reader Rob McFadden writes: “In Northern Virginia, an Associate in Applied Science (automotive technology) will have local employers lined up even *before* you’ve got the degree. And, if you’re willing to move to the oil patch the amount of money is astonishing.”

BACKYARD FARMING GETS FANCY:

Can chicken feed, canning jars and garden hoses feel chic?

Absolutely, say retailers cashing in on the “modern homesteader” craze. As more urban and suburban homeowners take up backyard farming, items like chicken coops, beehives, gardening tools and pickling and canning supplies are getting more stylish and pricey.

Stylish pickling?