Who Benefits From Bubbles? | Krugman

Here's a remarkable stat I hadn't seen before, from IRS data via Paul Krugman: 10% of all capital gains goes to only 400 people.

Verdasco & Tennis Guarantees

In the brouhaha over defending champion Fernando Verdasco not returning to defend his title in Barcelona, we got some rare, if ambiguous due to the language barrier, comments about "that which will not be said," guarantees and the influence of sports promoters on tennis tournaments.

So, IMG is managing players, managing tournaments, deciding which players get what guarantees to appear in the tournaments .... oh, and the IMG top exec bet on matches. Let's hope IMG doesn't get its hands on the majors. 

Europe Investigates Banks Over Derivatives | Dealbook

Finally!

Let's not hold our breath that this will lead to the the meaningful financial reform we need (which was sabotaged in the U.S. Senate), and it's certainly not the criminal investigations that many, top economists have called for, but ... just maybe ... we'll see some reigning in of the Too Big to Exist Fail Wall Street Banks.

Maria Sharapova's Serve Up Close

I assembled stills and slow motion video from Maria Sharapova's semifinal victory over Elena Dementieva at Stanford, last summer, to take a look a a serve that varies from one of the most effective ever on the women's tour, to one of the most vexing. 

Condoleezza Rice In Mozart Duel with Jack Donaghy

Art immitates ... the recursion makes my head ache. 

Obama White House Threatens SF Chronicle over Video

The Obama administration is threatening to block the SF Chronicle newspaper from covering the President because the paper posted a video of protestors at one of the President's ritzy multi-million dollar fund raising dinners.

Tax to Pay for Iraq War Proposed | Klein WaPo

Now, here's a tax increase I can actually get behind. 

Better yet, to make it clear that we went to war in Iraq over oil, and that in turn increased the price of oil, perhaps we should pay off the $2 Trillion Iraq war cost by imposing a $1 a gallon tax on gasoline, to stand until all troops are out of Iraq, or the war is paid for, whichever comes first. Care to bet on that one? 

Kaiser Study: U.S. Government Pays More for Healthcare than Most Countries'

Great new set of graphics on Kaiser's site from a study comparing various governments' healthcare systems and expenditures. Here is a second Kaiser PDF with more detail on how various countries' healthcare works, if you're interested, click to:  Download KaiserIntlHealthInsurance. 

Trump's Reported Mafia & Triad Ties

I really, really hope Donald Trump is the GOP Presidential nominee, because for sheer entertainment value this bloviator is the gift that keeps on giving.

Honoring Those Who Said No to Torture - NYTimes.com

Here's one way Obama44 could actually stand for real change, from an OpEd by Jameel Jaffer,deputy legal director at the American Civil Liberties Union, and Larry Siems, director of the Freedom to Write program at the PEN American Center.