Late Breaking Geekery: Economess

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Well, S&P downgraded the US's credit rating to AA+ not AAA (the best).  As Ritholz notes yes, it's hard to trust the agencies, but they do have sway, and he has a roundup of articles.  As I understand it the Obama administration is arguing that S&P used faulty math, which of course is entirely understandable considering.  What this means is something best left to more professional economic minds, though as I understand it higher interest rates are in the cards.

Personally?  I suspect this is a way to nudge the U.S. government towards more predictability – and perhaps more stimulus.

Yves at Naked Capitalism is starting a Bank of America Death Watch.  I trust Yves, and think he's on to something – Bank of America either has to engage in some radical activities or risk just plain dying.  If it does collapse like others, then that's going to be another potential contributor to a double-dip, will affect confidence in the economy of the US further, and lead to more political gridlock as a bailout will be floated.

Again, with all of this I put the odds of a double-dip recession (mild or otherwise) pretty high.  I wouldn't be sending any resumes to Bank of America either.

Now as everyone who reads this knows I'm pro-stimulus, so maybe this will get a return to stimulus and some logical budget cuts (as opposed to illogical ones).  It's gonna get interesting politically.

– Steven Savage

 

Late Breaking Geekery 8/5/2011

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A little late breaking geekery on the net freedom front:

Some ISP's redirecting searches apparently for commercial reasons.  OK it's a nice way of saying "for money" based on marketing/ads.  A list of offenders that were found is provided, a workaround is noted, and in general lawsuits seem to be coming.

Progeek Takeaways:

  • Check your ISP just in case on that list – and I think it's worth being paranoid because who knows what else they've done.
  • I wonder if any businesses on those ISPs have other reasons to be paranoid – say about security.
  • This might be a good issue to bring up in support of net neutrality and high ISP standards for, well, obvious reasons.

– Steven Savage

 

Frustration Friday: PLEASE sell out

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"I don't want to sell out."  Yes, we hear that from many people, from those that are true geniuses to failed writers and singers wanting to excuse the fact that they actually really suck.  But it is, for some, a real fear, a definite terror, and one that I sincerely think people need to be told to get the heck over.

Please, for the love of all that's holy my progeeks and progeekesses (and your young progeekettes), sell out and go and make gobs of money being famous and influential.

First, I doubt you're actually going to sell out if you're the kind of person that reads this blog.  Oh you might a bit, you may compromise a tad, but I'm sure you'll do pretty well.  Take a look at how many profans and protaku are out there who are famous and are actually pretty cool to at least tolerable.

Secondly, go on and hit the big leagues because we need you out there being influential.

Yes, think about it, if you become hot stuff, if your novel is huge, if you're a big name in gaming, then you can go make a difference.  You have a chance to change the industry and the world, hire people, be heard.  You, by being part of the system can actually work to change what doesn't work.

Kind of worth the risk of selling out, isn't it?

Imagine what you can do with influence, with a good reputation, with the regard of fans or fellows?  Worth taking the risk of selling out and becoming an insufferable twonk, isn't it?

You're not going to change the system from the outside, folks, so dive on into it.  I'm pretty confident you can make a difference.

And if you sell out all the way and become an intolerable jackass?  I'll be here to remind you.

(If I totally sell out, then you have to yell at me.  Remember that).

– Steven Savage