Invisible

The people media don't see

Thanx to Charles P. Pierce.

Yesterday's future

Quaint primitive devices of our benighted ancestors

Organized crime

An article on why the British middle classes aren't that revolting tells of a scam that sounds all too familiar to my American ears:

Phones4U was bought by the private equity house, BC Partners, in 2011 for £200m. BC then borrowed £205m and, having saddled the company with vast amounts of debt, paid themselves a dividend of £223m. Crippled by debt, the company has now collapsed into administration.

Private equity has been doing that sort of thing over here for years, and it is so acceptable that one of its most successful perpetrators, Willard Romney, ran for president himself instead of hiding behind a more palatable candidate, as the malefactors of great wealth have traditionally done. In the old science fiction gimmick of having the future look back on us with horror and mockery, I suggest:

Back in the day, a PE guy ran for president.

Who did he run against, a pimp?

Thanx to Making Light for the link

Famous Novelists on Symbolism in Their Work and Whether It Was Intentional

Future sf writer gets famous pros to do his homework. Results are amusing.