Saturday, February 22, 2014

READING FOR THE WEEKEND (2-22-14)



I guess God wanted him dead ... religious Kentucky snake handler, featured on "Snake Handler", dies from snake bite after refusing treatment (The Tennessean).

The real goal of science ... How to explain "color" to an 11-year-old (Slate).

In Kentucky, they sign up for Obamacare but still hate the president (The Grio).

Can you pass the citizenship test?  Here's the 100 questions that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services draws from (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services).


OUR DYSFUNCTIONAL MARKET SYSTEM
Jamie Dimon's raise proves U.S. regulatory strategy is a joke (Rolling Stone / Matt Taibbi).

The "bank holding" scam that turned our nation's financial institutions into multi headed financial vampires that can act like investment banks but be treated like traditional commercial banks (Rolling Stone / Matt Taibbi).

CBO's report on raising the minimum wage ... nothing new really (Demos).

This is just wrong ... Capital One's new contract says it can show up at your doorstep or place of work, any time (LA Times).

UAW may challenge Volkswagen vote results at Chattanooga  plant (The Tennessean).


INTERESTING / ENTERTAINING
Entrepreneur of the year? Genius Girl Scout sells cookies outside pot club and needs to restock after 45 minutes. So, yeah, location, location, location ... (SF Gate).

Men multi-tasking (YouTube).

The basic science question that 26% of Americans get wrong, still (SF Gate).

Plan to split California into 6 states closer to a vote, via the proposition (SF Gate).


MEXICO
NAFTA, 20 years later ... Chinese exports, U.S. economic cycles, and lagging development in Mexico make NAFTA's promises seem rather quaint (Americas Quarterly).

2013, Mexico's Year of Reforms: President Enrique Pena Nieto promotes six major changes in Mexico during his first year in office, which includes allowing federal and state officials to be reelected (Latin Times).

Lawmakers in Mexico City introduce a bill to legalize personal possession of marijuana, up to 5 grams (Latin Times).

Univision is preparing a new TV series about Chapo Guzman, the world's drug kingpin, "El Varon de la Droga" ... or "The Drug Baron" (Latin Times).

After 97 years - and with 573 changes since 1917 (Article 73 has been changed 69 times) - it may be time for Mexico to develop a new constitution (ADN Politico, in Spanish).


THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GRIN ... OR SMIRK
George Zimmerman is homeless, and says that he suffers from PTSD (The Grio).

U.S. airman uses "stand your ground" as his defense in Florida but gets 25 years in the pokey anyways. Can you guess the difference in this case? (The Grio).

Reagan's forgotten tax history ... The definitive piece on Reagan's tax hikes and budget record in California and Washington (Bruce Bartlett).

The 10 things conservatives don't want you to know about Ronald Reagan (Think Progress).


MEANWHILE, IN CRAZY LAND ...
Tom DeLay: People keep forgetting that God 'wrote the Constitution' (Raw Story).

Fox's Erickson: Businesses that serve gay couples are "aiding and abetting" sin (Media Matters).

Fox guest warns that U.S. could become Ukraine without social security cuts (Media Matters).

Varney and Santorum help promote "stimulus didn't work" lie (News Hounds).

O'Reilly agrees that Obama has an "innate repulsion to the projection of American force abroad" (Media Matters).

Hannity blames Obama for violence in Ukraine, Venezuela, and Syria (News Hounds).

- Mark 

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