strange quote of the week

This came from the weekly newsletter of founder of Project Gutenberg, Michael Hart, in his notes on what the US news media aren't reporting:

"The price of a gallon of gas is $2.25, 11 times what it was when paperback books were also selling at $.25. This gets nearly daily major news coverage, yet prices for paperbacks are now $7.50, 30 times what they were when paperbacks and a gallon of gas were both $.25. Even coffee prices made the news recently, going up 28% since Christmas, but what they went up to was the price they have averaged for the past 20 years. Why is it that books can go up so much without any news coverage?"

The Reality of Social Security Privatization

http://www.alternet.org/module/feed/mobile/?storyID=21690

I know various people who have seen their now-privatised superannuation funds entirely eaten up by greedy corporate charges. One friend, growing alarmed at how it kept getting smaller instead of bigger went to the bank to withdraw what remained (normally you are not allowed to, but there is a hardship loophole) and the bank clerk told him "Oh, sorry, the last of it just disappeared in charges."