2/17    Whoa dude, I didn't know you could keep exotic pets:
        http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/02/17/chimpanzee.attack/index.html
        \- jeeze [long url preserved]:
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2009/02/18/2009-02-18_charla_nash_lost_eyes_nose_and_jaw_in_ch.html

2/18    Yep.
        http://www.investors.com/editorial/cartoons/IMAGES/cartoons/toon021809.gif
        \_ I love it when investment bankers, who caused this whole mess,
           try to blame homeowners and the government.
           \_ bankers are just doing what they're good at: making money.
              In another word, they're being good Capitalists.
              \_ You're joking, right?  If they're so "good at making money,"
                 why are all those big banks insolvent?
                 \_ Like libertarians/conservatives, the bankers only
                    did what they thought was good for them-- bigger
                    paychecks. In Ayn Rand-speak, the collective selfish
                    people work together with the side effect of improving
                    those around them (trickle-down). These bankers
                    did exactly what a good Capitalist would do which was
                    to get as much money as they could for themselves. They
                    had no allegiance to the corporation they worked for.
                    Ayn looked at the boom and saw that as a positive effect,
                    and that the bust was just a side effect. Once again,
                    I'm not advocating this is good or bad, but simply they're
                    doing what they're good at doing-- highly motivated
                    by greed for local gains. BTW the second Randian message
                    is "Life is not fair, get used to it." Most bankers
                    accept that. Ayn advocates like Bill Gates used to say
                    the same thing to new graduates.
              \_ you misspelled "stealing"
                 \_ Capitalism: survival of the fittest. I'm not saying Capitalism
                    is good or bad, I'm just saying it's just the way it is in
                    America.
                    \_ "fittest"?  No, not really.  The game is skewed, not fair,
                        not everyone has the same exposure to predation or the
                        same access to "food" in the environment.  Capitalism
                        is more survival of the well positioned.
                 \_ Capitalism: survival of the fittest. I'm not saying
                    Capitalism is good or bad, I'm just saying it's just the
                    way it is in America.
                    \_ "fittest"?  No, not really.  The game is skewed, not
                       fair, not everyone has the same exposure to predation
                       or the same access to "food" in the environment.
                       Capitalism is more survival of the well positioned.
                    \_ like it or not, the US is not a pure Capitalism. If it
                        were, there would be no bailouts.  The fact is: the
                        greed of the banking industry has endangered all of
                        us.  We can't just blow off what they've done, or
                        ignore the industry and trust what it's doing to run
                        itself, which was the temptation in the W era.  That
                        time has passed now.  That policy didn't work.  So,
                        yes, you're going to see a lot of anger out there.
                        And IMO it's well-deserved.  The taxpayers are the
                        elder brother that has to step in and clean up the
                        mess the younger brother has made, even as the
                        younger brother claims no wrongdoing.
                        \- 80 columns, not 85, dumass
                           \_ What's the reason for retaining this rule?
                              Seems outdated.  Maybe 100 columns?