Another UK bank in trouble...
News reports today indicate that London Scottish Bank no longer has enough ready cash to pay its stockholders or make good on obligations. Unlike Northern Rock, the bank that was subject to a "run" by...
View ArticleClinton's working with disgraced UK fundraiser
When I saw a reference to this in last week's Private Eye I had to look a little closer. It seems that Steve Morgan, a British fundraiser whose name has been paired with "sleazy" in several recent news...
View ArticleOverseas voters--what are you doing/hearing?
Overseas voters will send 22 delegates to the Democratic convention this year. And I just did something I've never done before--voted on the Internet!
View ArticleBreaking: UK nationalises Northern Rock Bank
I blogged previously about the bad omen that was a run on a bank--Northern Rock Bank--here in the UK. A bad omen indicating that the subprime loan crisis and the credit crunch are worldwide phenomena....
View ArticleOversubscribed: Affordable healthcare
This one's personal for me. I have a grandchild in Oregon who has not had coverage since my daughter's employer dropped coverage for dependents. She's hoping to get a spot for her on the Oregon Health...
View Article"Ive been bad 4 years & years": a story of disability, abuse and silence
These ominous words were found scrawled on a wooden post in a secret basement room of the Haut de la Garenne, until recently a children's home on the island of Jersey off the coast of England....
View Article"Stability" x 23: The UK's new budget
The Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling graces the front page of every British paper this morning (Well, except for the Daily Sport, but that's OK, he would look scary in a short skirt). He's...
View ArticleCredit Crunch hits ClearChannel
OK, it's all about schadenfreude, I admit it. But my heart leapt when I learned that ClearChannel is in clear trouble as wary private equity companies pull out of a planned buyout deal for the...
View ArticleCancer and no insurance - can you help?
Some of you know that one of the reasons I left the US with my family is that we had become "uninsurable." I've just come face to face with what could have happened to one of us if we had stayed--and...
View ArticleUPDATED--Breaking: Labour Party trounced in UK elections
Yesterday was a major day for local elections in Britain: hundreds of seats at stake across the nation on local councils, as well as mayoral races--including the hugely important Mayor of London's...
View ArticleDifference between candidates on mental illness, ASD
I count many interesting people among my friends, and none more so than Jerod Poore, who runs CrazyMeds, a sort of consumer resource/social networking site for people who have mental ill health or...
View ArticleOregon Sen. Wyden is waiting to endorse...
I emailed Sen Ron Wyden a few weeks ago to encourage him to endorse Sen Obama. Today I received a thoughtful reply from his office. I'll share an excerpt below the fold.
View ArticleBritish unions ask Labour to pay the piper
Their strategy may not work, but it's fun to watch. The British Labour party is in massive trouble: it is on the verge of bankruptcy. Traditionally, it was, um, a "Labour" party--financed by and...
View ArticleUK PRWeek details McCain's blog-aganda efforts
It shouldn't surprise anyone that McCain's campaign team is trying to reach out to bloggers overseas, given the very poor coverage he's receiving in the MSM here. However, what trade paper PRWeek's UK...
View ArticleWhat happens when politicians tell the truth?
Well, we're finding out here in the UK--they get raked over the coals by the tabloid press for harming the economy.
View ArticleCrash bites deep in UK
As an expat, I trawl the US papers most evenings before I go to bed. The last few days haven't been a pretty sight. Most haven't mentioned much about the impact of the past three days in Europe, so...
View ArticleDirector John Waters SWEARS he didn't invent Sarah Palin...
...but adds that he could have, and wishes he did. So do I, because then she would be a fictional character instead of a potential vice-president. I went to see John Waters speak in London last night,...
View ArticleIt's official: Ireland slips into recession
A recession is what we're supposed to call it when for two consecutive quarters, the economy contracts instead of expanding or remaining stable. Ireland has now officially hit this point. Its economy...
View ArticleUPDATED x 2: Bradford & Bingley bank nationalised in UK
Bowler hats are not going to be this year's stylish accessory. The bowler was once the traditional headgear of the "City gent": the British banker who worked in London's financial district. Only a few...
View ArticleStephen King (R-Iowa) blames BLACKS for bailout failure
I posted this in a long thread a few minutes ago and then thought--hey, I really want to make sure people read this. Story below the fold.
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