crazy or what?

From Michael Hart's Project Gutenberg Weekly Newsletter:

Libraries are beginning to require fingerprint identification to insure patrons actually match the library cards they have, and so parents can censor the items checked out by children, and can regulate their Internet access.

Current example: Naperville, Illinois.

pensions

Yep, let's get rid of public pensions because private enterprise is so much better and more reliable. It gives you so much more to look forward to in your sunset years.

As Michael Hart notes in his latest Project Gutenberg Weekly Newsletter:

"The list of billion dollar companies defaulting on their pensions plans is enormous, including Bethelhem Steel, National Steel, Polaroid, Kaiser Aluminum, US Airways, etc.

Billion dollar insolvencies since 1990: Bethlehem Steel, LTV, Wheeling-Pittsburgh, Metals USA, McLoedUSA, Global Crossing, Winstar, Covad Communications, 360networks, ICG Communications, PSINet, Exodus Communications, Lernout & Hauspie & Dictaphone, Safety-Kleen, Laidlaw, The IT Group, Enron Corp., Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Reliance Group Holdings & Reliance Financial, NationsRent, ANC Rental, Burlington Industries, Chiquita Brands, Polaroid Corporation, Hayes Lemmerz, Federal-Mogul, W.R. Grace & Co., Owens Corning, Armstrong World Industries, USG Corporation, Lodgian, The FINOVA Group, Inc., Comdisco, Fruit of the Loom, Pillowtex, Warnaco, Kmart Corp., Ames Department Stores, Service Merchandise, Bridge Information Services, Imperial Sugar, The Loewen Group International, Inc., Vlasic Foods, AMF Bowling, Harnischfeger Industries, Inc., Vencor, Inc., Sun Healthcare Group, Inc., Mariner Post-Acute & Mariner Health, Genesis Health & Multicare, and Integrated Health Services."

concentration of power into fewer and fewer hands

(Yet more from Michael Hart)

The media continue to be gobbled up by "Merger Mania."

Ever wonder why so much of North American media content looks as if it were all written by clones?

There are ~1,800 newspapers, ~11,000 magazines, ~11,000 radio stations, ~2,000 TV stations and ~3,000+ book publishers in the United States:

Companies owning a controlling interest in the major players:

50 in 1984
26 in 1987
10 in 1996
6 in 2002

Today about 90% of the media voices have been silenced by takeovers, just compared to the number we had 20 years ago. . . .

Source: NOW with Bill Moyers. Politics & Economy. Massive Media | PBS