Made in Bangalore, the music video

comments on various aspects of the American empire

- its stockpile of nuclear bombs,

its cozy relation with fanatical and dictatorial regimes,

and the very notion of American peace and liberty

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Keywords: clip, power, satire, america

Perhaps corporate capitalism's

ultimate products is soda pop

It preys upon human weaknesses for sugar

and caffeine and sensory titillation

You make at home or obtain for free

It is mildly addictive

It is highly packageable and marketable

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Keywords: soda, cola, pop, obesity, commodification, capitalism

Mr. Fisman is a 36-year-old Columbia economics professor who conducted a two-year study, published last year, on dating. With two psychologists and another economist, he ran a speed-dating experiment at a local bar near the Columbia campus.

The results surprised him and made him a little sad because he found that even in the 21st century, many men are still straitjacketed in stereotypes.

“I guess I had hoped that they had evolved beyond this,” he said in a phone interview. “It’s like that ‘Sex and the City’ episode where Miranda went speed-dating.

"When she says she’s a lawyer, guys lose interest. Then she tells them she’s a flight attendant and that plays into their deepest fantasies.”   more »

A mass picket outside Universal Studios in Universal City, California Tuesday brought out scores of film and television personalities to support striking writers in the second week of their walk-out.

Television stars came out in significant numbers. They included Nicolette Sheridan and Felicity Huffman of “Desperate Housewives,” Matthew Fox of “Lost,” Jason Alexander and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, formerly of “Seinfeld,” Katherine Heigl of “Grey’s Anatomy,” Camryn Manheim, Ray Romano, Kathy Nijimy, Kathy Griffin, Bill Paxton and Jon Cryer.

Others in attendance included Sarah Silverman, Zach Braff, Lisa Kudrow, Rachel Griffiths, Calista Flockhart and many, many more.

The writers and their supporters packed the sidewalks outside Universal’s main gates, several thousand strong. The noise of car and truck horns was deafening.   more »

Why such a large fall? That leads to the second feature that distinguishes this bout of weakness: the US current account deficit is much larger both in absolute terms and as a percentage of GDP than in previous dollar cycles.

Every year, the US has to borrow around 6 per cent of its GDP just to pay for its imports. Until a few months ago it was able to do so. Foreign investors were impressed by the sales pitch they got from the US banking community:

Buy these sophisticated financial instruments our brilliant maths experts have created and you will get a higher return than you can get from anywhere else.

Now those US bankers don't look so smart and more than one non-US investor has indicated to me they felt they have been stuffed with rubbish. They won't trust those bankers again.   more »