Bizzy’s AM Coffee Biz-Econ-Life Links (051206)
Free Links:
- The Hill is reporting that there is less than meets the eye in the earmark (i.e., pork) identification effort built-in to the disaster known as the “lobbying reform” bill. Besides restricting free speech in a major way, it appears to create greater opportunity for disclosure-avoiding agency-specific earmarks. Once the lawmakers get the hang of it, earmarks may end up as tough to decipher as they have previously been, if not more so.
- In a very cleverly written post, “S.O.B.er” Newshound notes a big switcheroo on how different people with differing political outlooks get treated by the WORMs (Worn-Out Reactionary Media, known to most as The Mainstream Media) when they talk about their religious convictions.
- Female tennis star Maria Sharapova wants women’s prize money in tennis to be the same as the men’s — Fine. Just play best-of-five sets like the men do. Deal?
- You can’t make this stuff up — In an article about how a programmer in the Columbus school system is leaving suddenly because of her association with falsified attendance reporting at her prior job with Cleveland’s schools, there’s this gem: “The Cleveland district reported 620 excused absences for the 2004-05 school year; the real number was more than 500,000.”
- Leaving the geese that are generating the golden eggs alone for now — Cooler heads are prevailing on the idea of assessing an admissions tax at the various tourist attractions in the northeastern Cincinnati suburb of Mason. The idea is on hold. I suggest a permanent one.
- Here’s a shocker (as in NOT) — “France’s archaic state-owned university system is overcrowded, underfinanced and resistant to the changes demanded by the outside world.” Read the article to understand just how millions of supposedly educated people become totally out of touch.
- The Bolivian government’s expropriation of its national gas fields will not be compensated. The theft is not limited to US companies; in fact, the Brazilian company Petrobas is actually the biggest loser. The BBC dutifully relays the government’s claim that it will use the assets to “Finance National Growth.” Sure, just like Cuba.
I would wager that women’s tennis outperforms men’s tennis at the box office, probably has for a while now.
Better rivalries, personalities - and there are those short skirts. :)
Has nothing to do with the number of sets played - it’s the demand, O Business Genius.
Comment by Theo — May 12, 2006 @ 9:35 am
#1, my research indicates that the women’s game may be more popular, but not by leaps and bounds, and not by enough to make up for the 33%-40% or so fewer commercial slots available in a shorter match (plus the additional concessions sold to spectators, which is relatively minor). So equal pay for best-of-three would be overpaying from a purely business perspective.
And thanks for the compliment. :–>
Comment by TBlumer — May 12, 2006 @ 9:53 am