It may strike us as odd that the idea of gain is a relatively modern one; we are schooled to believe that man is essentially an acquisitive creature and that left to himself he will behave as any self-respecting businessman would. The profit motive, we are constantly being told, is as old as man himself. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Robert Heibroner, The Worldly Philosophers
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In a move that surprises absolutely no one, Massey coal stocks have fallen for the second consecutive day. Good. Any company that 
doesn’t care enough about its people to follow basic safety rules to make sure they don’t fcuking die deserves to lose every damn cent they have, and anyone who thinks different is out of their goddamn mind. The more I read about this company and what they did, the angrier I get. So maybe it’s time for me to read something else.
Bunch of assholes.
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Believe nothing, O monks, merely because you have been told it … or because it is traditional, or because you yourselves have imagined it. Do not believe what your teacher tells you merely out of respect for the teacher. But whatsoever, after due examination and analysis, you find to be conducive to the good, the benefit, the welfare of all beings—that doctrine believe and cling to, and take it as your guide.
Gautama Buddha
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Proof that not all Americans are stupid. And proof that some are a bunch of idiots. And proof that America is insanely partisan. In a harris poll whose results were released today, 31 percent of Americans blame the Bush administration for the current financial woes this nation is suffering from, while 14 percent blame the Obama administration. Not surprisingly, Republicans blamed Democrats, and Democrats blamed Republicans. 25 percent of the blame was put on congress, with the party split being in favor of blaming the Democrats 16% to 9% who blame the Republicans.
Only 4% blame Ben Bernanke. Amazing. Isn’t he in charge of the Federal Reserve? Didn’t the bailout mess happen under his watch, along with Hank Paulson and Dubya? It annoys me that he only got 4%. Surprise? No. Annoys, oh yes… oh yes…
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Live update. Just as I was about to wrap things up, news came up. A passenger with an explosive device was caught on a plane going from Washington DC to Denver. Go to cnn or msnbc for live updates.
Have a good night, America.
