Relevant and even prescient commentary on news, politics and the economy.

Responding to Glenn Greenwald’s: What the Supreme Court Got Right

by Divorced one like Bush For this post I will formally introduce myself. I am Daniel J. Becker. It is only proper and just to do so. I am using Mr. Greenwalds discussion only as a platform to add my thoughts regarding the Citizens United decision.  Also this is a long read. So I’ll give you […]

Roots

I took a trip back to memory lane via the archives to the very first post from the Angry Bear on Feb. 28, 2003 that I know of. The look and style of Angry Bear has changed over time, as well as who writes and having an expanded list of subject matter. 2003 seems an […]

Inflation in China is not necessarily a bad thing

Yesterday, the release of key economic indicators in China produced headlines like this: China Targets Inflation as Economy Runs Hot. The table below lists the full release, including the consensus expectations (Bloomberg’s survey) for each statistic. (Here is the link for the actual data release.) As you can see, the survey undershot the actual results […]

The Trouble with Cost Containment

by Tom aka Rusty The Trouble with Cost Containment Long-term care facilities face multiple pressures thwarting cost containment attempts. The nursing homes have three types of patients: rehab: typically younger post orthopedic surgery or cardiac care, short stayjoint hospice patients: who are to be provided comfort care while dyingtrue long-term care residents: typically an 84 […]

Government payroll across U.S. Presidencies

by Rebecca Wilder The term of Brazil’s President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, concludes this year. During President Lula’s tenure, Brazil enjoyed stable monetary policy and strong economic growth. However, President Lula is likewise known for growing the size of Brazil’s government, for example, by adding over 300k government jobs. This translates into a 4.8% […]

Corporations are now your brother and sister

by Divorced one like Bush If you haven’t heard, the SCOTUS just ruled 5/4 that corporations are now your brother and sister under the constitution.  Hey brother, can you spare a dime? To bad corporations didn’t have to fight in the Revolution and actually bleed to get such rights. More seriously, the court ruled that […]

Wake up call? or just a startle?

(h/t Mudflats) Humor: This little video resonated with some of my thoughts on the MA Senate election and responses in the media. The little guy/gal is MA. Where the startle goes remains to be seen… Today is Bank Regulation day with Paul Volcker and the White House. And Health Insurance reform day is coming soon. […]