Events

...Citibank just emailed me a notice that all of my deposits are protected by the FDIC. I wonder why they're telling me now? More: Via Paul Krugman, an informed rundown of what this means: Apparently Citibank and the U.S. government (i.e., we taxpayers) have reached a deal whereby we will backstop something like $300-billion in screwed assets on Citi's balance sheet. ... Here is the gist: Citi will carve out $300-billion in troubled assets, which will remain on its balance sheet The first...

Josh Marshall: "One country cannot stand a once in a century economic crisis, two wars and Norm Coleman. We have limits."

Parker and I walked past the Lincoln Park Zoo a few minutes ago, just as an ambulance passed by. The wolves in the zoo answered the ambulance. We had to stop and listen. Very cool.

Beloit College professors Tom McBride and Ron Nief annually compile a list of assumptions that first-years bring with them based solely on the year of their birth. It's fascinating: This month [August 2008], almost 2 million first-year students will head off to college campuses around the country. Most of them will be about 18 years old, born in 1990 when headlines sounded oddly familiar to those of today: Rising fuel costs were causing airlines to cut staff and flight schedules; Big Three car companies...

I have a Daily Dilbert desk calendar. Here is today's strip: Had to share.

Despite my joking about the inconveniences an Obama Presidency will bring to us in Chicago, we really are ecstatic that our guy won. It's so good, even the New York Times has acknowledged it: In 1952, when an article in The New Yorker derisively referred to Chicago as the Second City, little offense was taken. It became a marketing pitch, with the thinking that second fiddle was far better than no fiddle at all. But that gawking, out-of-town amazement — gee, there really is a city here! — has long...

Via Krugman, Bernanke lolfed: