Uncategorized
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A retail designer tries for an Eagle, but scores a bogey
This outlet of a clothing store called American Eagle has a hanging sign, like the other stores in the mall. What makes its sign different is that it’s placed behind a pillar and above a balcony, safely hidden from the eyes of would-be customers. It’s a refreshing return to the days when retailers disdained to…
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Black Friday and Pamplona
Black Friday is what happens when PETA improves the running of the bulls at Pamplona. The sporting and daring among us can enjoy the frisson of risking a trampling, without any animals being put to the effort of encouraging us to make a dash for it.
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A Labor Day note: William McKinley and Terence V. Powderly share a September 6 connection
My mostly annual posts on Labor Day mark the memory of Grandmother Laquedem, an ardent socialist who carried her commitment to the cause to the grave by dying on Labor Day some years back. Today's commemoration of Labor Day breaks from my past quotations of labor sage Joe Hill and the songs kept alive by…
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Isaac’s Voters’ Pamphlet: Measure 66 is a yes, alas
I put the dismal task off until this weekend, when at last I slogged through the Voters' Pamphlet on Measures 66 and 67: not just the arguments for and against, but the text of the measures themselves. I came to two conclusions: first, the legislature doesn't really understand the federal tax system; and second, most…
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Barack O’Lantern
Spotted this evening, and recognizable thanks to this link from Jack Bogdanski.
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Self-service gasoline, revisited
Oregon is one of the last two states (maybe now the last one altogether) that prohibits motorists from pumping their own gasoline. Advocates of self-service gasoline say that gas will be cheaper if we can pump it ourselves. It was gratifying to see the Oregonian report on Monday that the average price for gasoline in…
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The TSA is in my dreams
I often dreamt that I was flying, but since security increased, now by the time I make it through the checkpoints, it’s time to wake up and go to work.
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Clean money in politics: Portland compared to New Mexico
In the midst of our local debate on the "clean money" initiative in Portland to allow candidates to receive public campaign money if they limit private contributions comes another communication from Our Man in New Mexico, this one also having to do with money in politics. Our M. in N.M. reports that the New Mexico…
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Happy Birthday, L.J.!
Today is the __th birthday of one of the Sisters Laquedem, whom in this weblog I’ll nickname “Little Jewel” for reasons that she’ll understand. Happy birthday, L.J.!
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ThURLsday links
To celebrate ThURLsday (an idea I read about at Worldwide Pablo, for which he credits blogger James Lileks), here are links to two items that caught my eye today, from blogs outside of my blogroll that I will be reading more often. The first is to a post from Natasha at Pacific Views, about the…