The state of the global economy, by Joseph Stiglitz

Much has been made of his nobel prize in Economics, but let's face it...there are now a lot of those running around.  Nevertheless, I always find his papers and remarks understandable, which is a big thing in my view.
Here he has a sort of radical idea for saving the world economy, and he also puts the "state of" in an excellent perspective.
Here it is:  Stiglitz World Bank Talk

Everything you ever wanted to know about molds on foods

Here is a CDC summary of the dangers of eating moldy foods -- even a little pinprick's worth. 
And who said our taxpayer dollars don't produce anything useful?

A vivid example of the dangers of Fracking

Is there any such thing as "adequate" regulation of an environmental hazard?  My friend with an insider's knowledge of FDA says no, and she peppers me with stories about how politics have made the job of reviewers difficult.  (Her experience dates back to the Bush years, so I calm myself by thinking that all of this has changed since the new leadership at the FDA has arrived.  (Some of those higher ups are holdovers, however, so why should I think they've changed their spots?) 
Well... this post is about hydraulic fracking, the environmental issue du jour for Pennsylvania, New York and Maryland.  Here is an article about some of the health problems that westerners in the path of fracking have experienced, brought to you by ProPublica, that innovative on-line source of investigative journalism.
Of course, I sit here with my new hip, wondering whether it's one of those metal-on-metal things that are failing at a rate of about 29% so far (based on British data...we Americans don't have registries, being ostriches as we are).  So, maybe FDA is more important than the future of the planet. 

Find your Congressman on Twitter

Here is the list of Twitter Addresses for members of the House of Representatives.

If you use Twitter, it might be a good way to send your opinions in.  Short and sweet.

Dems help keep low tax rates on wealthy.

We expected it of the Republicans, but this Washington Post Article reviews the voting patterns of many Democratic legislators (and President!) who created and protect the very very low (now 15%) capital gains tax.  Only the wealthy have substantial capital gains that are not sequestered in tax-deferred or tax-free IRAs or 401-Ks.  It takes a wealthy person to benefit from the low capital gains tax.  If we need to raise revenue, we should start there.

How bad is your State's credit risk?

Barron's  has a great article this month on the state of our States' credit ratings. Whether you're an investor or not, it's worth a look to see how your own State fares in the "best" list and the "worst" list. After all, in the end the taxpayer will pick up the tab, and that's all of us one way or another.
Little Delware (the Blue Hen State) turns out to have the strongest credit position among all states. How do they do it, considering that they must spent gadzillions rebuilding the beaches every spring to keep the ocean from washing it away?
I very much like the layout of criteria for assessing a State's credit health. Hope this link to the article works. Good, Bad and Ugly. If not, go directly to Barron's and search for the article.