Craigslist: Libertarian Newspaper Slayer!
Thursday, July 2, 2009
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I haven't a clue what any of this means. Is one engaged in "economic activities" if, by and large, no money is changing hands? If there is no intention of making a profit; no advertising; and limited fees for those posting ads? (Small fees were first introduced as a way of preventing double posting of real estate listings from spamming New York brokers). So why is Wal-Mart (a company I defended here) not "libertarian," while Craigslist, which is run by the left-liberal Craig Newmark and basically provides its services for free, is? It is unclear how Jim Buckmaster's non-strategy strategy counts as sinister and free market, but YoungSmith adds this bit of clarification:While Wal-Mart is bent on maximizing returns for its shareholders--an appropriate goal, for a corporation--Craigslist is not. Instead, [Big Money's Mark] Gimein explains, Craigslist doesn't even try to profit from its economic activities, because its owners are devoted to a form of libertarian ideology:
For all the stories written about Craigslist and the profiles of its founder, the company can still baffle anybody trying to make sense of it. A telling episode was the performance of Jim Buckmaster, the CEO who runs Craigslist day to day, at an investor conference where he was asked to explain the company's strategy for maximizing revenue. Buckmaster answered that it didn't have one... or want one because that wasn't the point.
[Ellipses in the original.]
Instead of profits, Gimein shows, Craigslist's owners manage the organization in the service of an idea.Shorter YoungSmith: A business that facilitates yardsale-like transactions, that eases the process of unloading your excess junk on neighborhood hoarders, is working in service of a libertarian idea. And by destroying a key newspaper revenue stream, those Craigslist libertarians are, in turn, destroying those who valiantly defend democracy at the Los Angeles Times, Rocky Mountain News, and Lowell Sun. Or something.A lesson that it was hard for [me] to learn," [founder Craig] Newmark told Charlie Rose, "was that people are good and trustworthy and moderate." Craigslist is Newmark's vote of confidence in that lesson. ... Bad things don't come from what two individuals decide to do together. They come from the institutions that stand between them.
Craigslist: Libertarian Newspaper Slayer!
[Source: Good Times Society - by The American Illuminati]
Craigslist: Libertarian Newspaper Slayer!
[Source: Murder News]
Craigslist: Libertarian Newspaper Slayer!
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Craigslist: Libertarian Newspaper Slayer!
[Source: Onion News]
Craigslist: Libertarian Newspaper Slayer!
[Source: Rome News]
Craigslist: Libertarian Newspaper Slayer!
posted by tgazw @ 10:11 AM, ,
You Shouldn't Say That Out Loud
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You Shouldn't Say That Out Loud
[Source: Good Times Society - by The American Illuminati]
You Shouldn't Say That Out Loud
[Source: News Leader]
You Shouldn't Say That Out Loud
[Source: News 4]
You Shouldn't Say That Out Loud
posted by tgazw @ 9:36 AM, ,
Playlogic launches new downloadable PC game sites
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With outlets like Steam, Impulse, Direct2Drive, GameTap, GamersGate already out there there is no lack of places you can download PC games. Now publisher Playlogic has decided to enter this crowded market with their own entry, GamEssence (and yes, that is how they are choosing to spell it on their site).
The site's selection of titles is pretty sparse at the moment with just 41 games to choose from. The games come from either Playlogic itself orfrom another publisher Microids. However Playlogic states in their press release that they plan to expand GamEssence to include hundreds of titles from third party publishers. It will be interesting to see if this new venture will make any headway against the already established brands.
Playlogic launches new downloadable PC game sites originally appeared on Big Download Blog on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Playlogic launches new downloadable PC game sites
posted by tgazw @ 9:20 AM, ,
Quote of the Day
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"I am Rahm Emanuel, so people say that a lot."
-- White House chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, quoted by the Reliable Source, to a woman who asked him if anyone ever tells him he looks like Rahm Emanuel.
Quote of the Day
[Source: Good Times Society - by The American Illuminati]
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Quote of the Day
posted by tgazw @ 8:34 AM, ,
China To Geithner: It Would Be Helpful If You Could Show Us Some Numbers
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Geithner told China yesterday that the Obama Administration was committed to bringing down the US deficit.
Really?
Barack Obama will quadruple the deficit this year.
Geithner also told China that Team Obama wants to bring down the deficit next year from 12.9% of GDP this year to 3% of GDP next year (a near impossibility)...
Or, in other words, back into Bush territory.
In response, China told Geithner to show them some numbers!
Bloomberg reported, via Bizblogger:
In an interview with Bloomberg Television May 21, Geithner said the administration?"s goal is to cut the budget shortfall to 3 percent of gross domestic product or smaller. That would be down from a projected 12.9 percent this year.
Seventeen of 23 Chinese economists polled in connection with Geithner?"s visit said holdings of Treasuries are a ?Sgreat risk? for the nation?"s economy, according to a Chinese state media report yesterday. Still, the majority argued against quickly cutting them, the Beijing-based Global Times reported.
Geithner, 47, needs to show how the U.S. can prevent the value of China?"s investment from being eroded by a weaker dollar or by the inflation that might be stoked by the stimulus money being pumped into the U.S. economy, according to Yu.
?SIt will be helpful if Geithner can show us some arithmetic,? he said.
...The Treasury released a transcript May 30 of a briefing Geithner gave last week at the Foreign Press Center in Washington. In it, he said he will stress with Chinese officials that he?"s intent on maintaining the dollar?"s strength.
?SI will, of course, make it clear that we are committed to a strong dollar, that we are committed to bringing our fiscal deficits down over the medium term to a sustainable place, to a sustainable level,? Geithner said in the briefing May 27. ?SWe believe in a strong dollar. A strong dollar is in the U.S. interest.?
This doesn't sound good at all.
No wonder China is concerned.
The US has lost 16,000 jobs each day since Obama signed the Spendulus Bill and sunk the US economy further into debt.
China To Geithner: It Would Be Helpful If You Could Show Us Some Numbers
[Source: Good Times Society - by The American Illuminati]
China To Geithner: It Would Be Helpful If You Could Show Us Some Numbers
[Source: Nbc News]
China To Geithner: It Would Be Helpful If You Could Show Us Some Numbers
[Source: Home News]
China To Geithner: It Would Be Helpful If You Could Show Us Some Numbers
[Source: World News]
China To Geithner: It Would Be Helpful If You Could Show Us Some Numbers
[Source: Abc 7 News]
China To Geithner: It Would Be Helpful If You Could Show Us Some Numbers
[Source: October News]
China To Geithner: It Would Be Helpful If You Could Show Us Some Numbers
posted by tgazw @ 8:31 AM, ,
Who's to blame for Boyle's distress?
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Who is responsible when reality TV contestants crack under the strain? It's easy to pick on the media or the shows' producers, but in my opinion a large part of the responsibility lies with us, the general public.
When Susan Boyle admitted herself to a clinic over the weekend, we saw the sour end of the misconceptions we hold about how to achieve happiness. We're clinging to two false beliefs, and they're leading us badly astray.
The first belief is that happiness comes from outward success, from a certain number of hits on YouTube or a fabulous salary. It doesn't. Watch Susan Boyle's initial performance on Britain's Got Talent again, because that's the one that really moved us all. When she's singing, she's singing because she
simply loves to sing. She hasn't yet thought much about what she'll "get" from her singing. You can hear that in her voice.
The second mistaken belief is that instant happiness is the same as lasting happiness.
Instant happiness disappears as quickly as it arrives, and it only leaves you wanting more. Lasting happiness, on the other hand, is a process, and it's that process rather than any resulting "reward" that creates happiness.
This can be particularly devastating when parents push their children to appear on these shows. Children are unlikely to understand fully what's happening, and if they don't win - and most won't - they often feel they've let their parents down. This can lead to low self-esteem and feelings of helplessness.
So, as we prepare for yet another series of Big Brother, should production companies take more care when it comes to selecting applicants? We expect psychological "experts" to assess in advance who can and can't cope with the stresses that sudden fame will bring. I think that's nonsense. No one - not even the candidates themselves - can know how they'll react to instant fame until they have it.
Contrary to what many think, psychologists don't have reliable tests or techniques that, in one interview, can predict how someone will react under very different circumstances in the future. Unless you establish a relationship with someone over a substantial period of time and in a number of different circumstances, there's little anyone can suggest about another person's ability to cope under enormous pressure. That's why I have repeatedly declined to participate in the selection procedures for reality TV.
No one can survive constant scrutiny without feeling stressed. We know from the laws of physics that even the tiniest particle is affected by being observed. So, the fault with reality TV? It lies largely within ourselves, with our desire for easy and instant answers.
guardian.co.uk ? Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Who's to blame for Boyle's distress?
[Source: Good Times Society - by The American Illuminati]
Who's to blame for Boyle's distress?
[Source: News Coverage]
Who's to blame for Boyle's distress?
posted by tgazw @ 7:41 AM, ,
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