Wednesday, February 18, 2009

End of an era: Touch and Go Records will stop distributing smaller indie labels - Jim DeRogatis

This is sad.


End of an era: Touch and Go Records will stop distributing smaller indie labels - Jim DeRogatis: "In a move certain to have a wide-ranging negative impact on the independent music scene in America, Chicago-based Touch and Go Records has announced that it's eliminating the part of its operation that has provided manufacturing and distribution services to dozens of smaller record labels across the country for the last two decades."

Monday, February 16, 2009

File Under: The New Deal Worked! SUCK IT!

Paul Abrams: Winning the Economic Argument: Show Opponents This Graph, and Ask Them to Explain

"As pointed out in the above-referenced article, the key observation in this graph is the downturn in 1936-37. This is as close to a 'scientific experiment' as there can be in macroeconomics: from '33 to '36 Roosevelt unleashed the New Deal and what passed at the time as massive spending. The GDP grew every year by double-digits.

Then, in a reversion to his true roots as a fiscal conservative, FDR decided that it was time to slash spending to balance the budget. The economy contracted. Then in '38, realizing the error of his ways, Roosevelt started spending again, and GDP grew every year thereafter."