dangerousmeta!, the original new mexican miscellany, offering eclectic linkage since 1999.

CJR: NYT Paywall Datapoints of the Day.

Perhaps, but they’re still offering low cost deals for periods of time. Once the specials stop, what happens?

Dismal.com: The January Jobs Jolt.

Annoying, that morning news talk shows feel they have to echo the worst parts of the McLaughlin Report (talking over each other).

The Atlantic: Why Your Prius Will Bankrupt Our Highways.

“Since back in the Eisenhower era, the federal government has maintained a Highway Trust Fund, paid for mostly by taxes on fuel, that helps cover the repair and construction of our country’s roads, bridges, and mass transit. The idea was that drivers themselves should bear some of the cost the roads they used. Unfortunately, Congress hasn’t raised the gas tax since 1993. Since then, inflation has eaten away at least a third of its value.” Driving down to Austin over the holidays, I have to say that our interstates are disgusting. They used to be smooth and well-kept ... now crisscrossed with cheap tar gap-fill and potholes. Some are turning to gravel, like the remnants of Route 66. 

Reuters: China’s Wen: May consider bigger role in EU rescue.

Been waiting for China to give America a little slap, by supporting the Euro.

The Atlantic: Would Mitt Romney Be the Richest U.S. President Ever?

“Romney is worth more than the last eight presidents, combined, times two. Should you care?” I’d say so. 

The Atlantic: American Airlines Wants to Terminate Its Pension Plan, Lay Off 13,000.

Uh-oh. I don’t suppose I can collect on those tens of thousands of frequent-flyer miles I built up back in the 80’s ... 

WaPo: The big spenders behind the super PACs.

Of interest. Barack’s at the bottom.

Guardian.UK: What’s become of corporate society?

“… in the chaotic new economy emerging from the financial crisis many people are finding, to their immense cost, that the jobs they worked so hard to have already been eliminated as business models are transformed overnight by new technology. Its not just a job for life that is a thing of the past, but a job at all in an economy where over one third of the workforce are freelance, in what many are describing as the industrial revolution of our time.” A worthy read. Make time for this one.

ReadWriteEnterprise: Blogging Declines Across the Inc. 500.

Not surprised. Companies selling products will have an easier time with shorter form content. Getting niche bloggers to write the long stuff, for free or for sponsorship, is the cheaper route.

SF New Mexican: After closing, Earth Works Institute leaves lessons, legacies.

A terrible shame. Yet it’s the story of so many nonprofits.

Conde Nast Traveler: The New Airline Rules - Six things That Will Make Air Travel Easier.

Pricing may be more predictable.

PetaPixel: Why Wedding Photographers’ Prices are “Wack”.

A wedding photographer answers the complaints of a soon-to-be bride. The comments are nitpicky, but worth also perusing.

The Professional Hobo: My Cost of Full-Time Travel in 2011.

I can dream, can’t I?

The Atlantic: Mitt Romney’s Tax Returns - Here’s What Really Matters.

“It’s not that Romney tax return proves he’s done something wrong. It’s that his tax returns prove that the tax code is wrong. Households worth $200 million earning $20 million in investment income a year shouldn’t be paying a lower tax rate than some middle class families, especially at a time when we’re thinking about cutting spending that disproportionately benefits the lower and lower-middle class.” Our modern affluent are not Andrew Carnegies, to help their fellow citizens by giving away $350 million in public libraries and many other beneficial resources (dollar value in 2010 is roughly equal to about $10 billion). You just don’t see that magnitude of financial charity happening.

WaPo: Fannie and Freddie don’t deserve blame for bubble.

“If Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are responsible for the debacle, then perhaps government’s role in a future mortgage finance system should be minimal. But if private lenders deserve most of the blame, the case grows for giving government an important role in backstopping and overseeing the system.” I sort of bristle at binary ‘either/or’ thinking. There’s a better balance that would be created by greater regulation and plain old ‘policing’ of the financial system.

naked cap: Obama to Use Pension Funds of Americans to Pay for Bank Mortgage “Settlement”

“As I urged last week, please call your state attorney general and tell them you think taking from your pension to enrich banks for abusing homeowners is a lousy idea and they should therefore refuse to sign on to the settlement.”

mgmt. design: What’s Your Candidate Worth?

Infographic.

The Atlantic: Frequency of Alan Greenspan’s Laughter Predicted the Housing Bubble.

We’re not laughing, certainly.

SF New Mexican: City bumps pay floor to national high.

“The city announced Thursday that the wage floor will increase to $10.29 an hour — up from the $9.85 imposed on employers for the last two years and a nickel higher than San Francisco’s.” It’s difficult to discern the direct effects of the living wage, other than portion sizes going down, quality going down, and prices go up at local ‘affordable’ restaurants. Perhaps fewer sales clerks in small retail stores. Businesses that used to skim by on the edge of profitability are largely gone. I see a lot of moving, looking for cheaper rental spaces.

RWW: Why Apple, Why Does it Have to Be Like This? The Cold Cynicism of the iBook EULA.

“What a terrible thing to do to a book; to brand it forever constrained for sale by a single vendor only.” Well, that puts a distinct damper on my excitement over the announcement.

WaPo: For a jobless, struggling South Carolina man, reality isn’t a political debate.

This shouldn’t be happening in America. 

The Guardian.UK: Ian Rankin wants tax incentives to help new authors.

Given Britain’s economic woes, I suspect it will fall flat.

The Atlantic: Half of U.S. Households Took Government Benefits in 2010.

“Our projected deficits aren’t much of a surprise when you see the last 80 years as a multi-generational project of cutting taxes to ‘pay for’ increasingly expensive promises.” Ooooh, my emphasis. 

Outside Online: Lance Armstrong and Livestrong.

“Most people are unaware that there are two Livestrong websites. Livestrong.org is the site for the nonprofit Lance Armstrong Foundation, while Livestrong.com is a somewhat similar-looking page that features the same Livestrong logo and design but is actually a for-profit content farm owned by Demand Media.” Anyone else done searches on health-related items and ended up on this miserable site? I *wondered* what the h-e-double-toothpick was going on, getting crappy health advice mixed with useless banner ads. Ten pages or so; take your time and read the whole thing.

CNN: Hispanic GOP group endorses Gingrich.

Short memories. Newt wanted to take away green card holders’ Social Security benefits back in the ‘90’s.