NRU Mish Mash

I am glad that there are still journalists out there looking under rocks.  At least, in this piece the author checked to see if there was fire under the smoke in the Toyota relocation story.  It has played far and wide on local television news, with easy access to TX Governor Perry acting like he does.  Turns out that researchers have already been looking into whether or not relocation hurts or helps growing economies like California.  There is one more question, however, I wish this reporter had asked ... why is the production base in the South yet the closest the "brain power" could get was Texas.  There is another interesting story there that folks need to read so they can begin to connect the dots on what *quality education* and the spending it requires means in the real world.  Still, a tip of the hat to Hirsch and Logan for looking under, around and through the *controversy*.

Looks like what the GOP feared most has come to pass ... ACA has enrolled more than expected individuals, potentially enrolled as many as 50% of folks who were previously without any health coverage ... and the world did NOT end, nor did the economy come to a standstill, and no babies or old folks died because Obamacare was not repealed.  I would like to say, for entertainment purposes, that I was looking forward to the next boogeyman, but frankly I am exhausted by the lack of work from our senate and house and the constant, shrill cries from the conservatives and their acolytes.  I would like them to shut the fuck up now. 

For many years now, ever since I have had nieces and nephews, I have been buying books with animals as protagonists.  Not just because they are frequently funny and interesting characters, but often because I was sick and tired of seeing only white children and families portrayed.  Seems like someone finally pointed out to the people who are most invested in book buying that having "all white" anything in our current and future world might not be the most financially sound choice.  I didn't hear about the original uproar, so I thank Hector Tovar for bringing the story to the Los Angeles Times!